The latest developments since several countries, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, cut ties with Qatar on June 5. (All times GMT+3)

Here are the day by day developments in the Qatar-Gulf crisis until the GCC summit on December 8:

December 3 - December 9

Gulf cup to be held in Kuwait. "On the basis of consultations between the leaderships of both countries it has been agreed to transfer the Gulf Cup tournament to Kuwait," Qatar Football Association president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani said on Friday, according to local media.

Bahrain and the UAE confirmed their participation in the tournament, which will be held in Kuwait between December 22, 2017 and January 5, 2018.

Kuwait Football Association denied reported withdrawal of the Saudi football team nor any other team from the Gulf Cup.

Macron visits Al-Udeid Air Base. A video published by AFP shows French President Emmanuel Macron arriving in Qatar and visiting the Al-Udeid Air Base on Thursday.

President Macron also said he backs mediation efforts led by Kuwait to end the blockade, "with regards to the situation in the Gulf, I want to see a promise of reconciliation between its members".

Summit closes one day early. The GCC summit concludes on Tuesday, instead of Wednesday as originally planned, and all delegations left after the closed session.

Although it will be Oman's turn to host next year's GCC summit, Omani Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi says on Wednesday that the summit will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Kuwaiti emir says GCC structure might have to change. The structure of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council may have to change in the near future to "have mechanisms to better face challenges", Sheikh Sabah said on Tuesday.

The Kuwaiti emir referenced the possibility of setting up a task force to help deal with future rifts within the GCC.

The Kuwaiti leader said his country will continue mediating in the dispute. "Our meeting today is a reason to continue the mediation, which fulfills the ambitions of our people," Sheikh Sabah said.

'Future of GCC in doubt'. Commenting on concerns about the current state of the GCC, Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, reporting from Kuwait City on Tuesday, said the council's future "is very much in doubt" as a result of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain continuing to "rebuff efforts by Kuwait to try and find some sort of mediation to the crisis".

Our correspondent added that despite assurances given to the Kuwaitis that high-level delegates would be sent to the summit, "Saudi Arabia has chosen to send not even a member of the royal family but their foreign minister. Bahrain has sent a third-rate politician, their deputy prime minister, and the UAE hasn't sent a significant minister either."

Sayyid Fahad bin Mahmood al-Said, Oman's deputy prime minister, arrives at the GCC summit. He tells reporters upon arrival that Oman "profoundly expresses its appreciation of the efforts of Kuwait and its leadership to bridge the gap, coordinate positions and align viewpoints amongst member states in order to address all developments," according to the Qatar News Agency. Oman's ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, has given the efforts his "full backing", he adds.

The Saudi delegation to the GCC summit, which will now be concluding one day earlier, will be led by Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubair. King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will not attend.

GCC summit begins. Kuwait's News Agency reports the beginning of the 144th GCC foreign ministers meeting at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait City on Monday.

The 38th GCC summit will begin in Kuwait City on Tuesday as a blockade by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) against member state Qatar continues, six months on.

A press conference has been scheduled for 10:30am local time (07:30 GMT) on Wednesday, December 6.

Attendees are expected to arrive at the summit from 11:30am local time (08:30 GMT).

Only Qatar and Oman have so far confirmed their participation in the summit. Qatar said Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir, will attend. Oman said it will be represented by a high-level delegation.

Citing a diplomatic source, the Anadolu news agency said that Saudi Arabia's King Salman will also attend the GCC summit, while Oman 's News Agency said that its Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahad bin Mahmood al-Said will attend the summit instead of Sultan Qaboos.

Qatar and Saudi to participate in the summit. "I will attend the ministerial council tomorrow and the emir will attend the summit," news agencies quoted Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani as saying on Sunday at a forum in Doha.

UAE: Summit unlikely to end crisis: "The reality is that the [GCC] summit will not bring a resolution to the Qatari crisis but nor is it intended to resolve disputes," reads a commentary published on Sunday by the state-run WAM news agency.

The commentary also suggested that UAE representatives will attend the summit out of respect for Kuwait's emir, adding that "respect for his status and his wisdom has the power to bring countries together."

December 4 - December 10

GCC foreign ministers meet. Kuwait's News Agency reported the beginning of the 144th GCC foreign ministers meeting at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait City on Monday.

Diplomatic sources had confirmed on Sunday that foreign ministers of all six member states would attend this preliminary meeting.

Qatar and Saudi confirm participation in summit. "I will attend the ministerial council tomorrow and the emir will attend the summit," news agencies quoted Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani as saying on Sunday at a forum in Doha.

Citing a diplomatic source, the Anadolu news agency said that Saudi Arabia's King Salman will also attend the GCC summit, while Oman's News Agency said that its Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Fahad bin Mahmood al-Said will attend the summit instead of Sultan Qaboos.

UAE: Summit unlikely to end crisis. "The reality is that the [GCC] summit will not bring a resolution to the Qatari crisis but nor is it intended to resolve disputes," reads a commentary published on Sunday by the state-run WAM news agency.

The commentary also suggested that UAE representatives will attend the summit out of respect for Kuwait's emir, adding that "respect for his status and his wisdom has the power to bring countries together."

IUMS pledged legal action. The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) said on Friday that the organisation's reputation has been harmed by listing in the terror list of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain.

"A legal request will be submitted to the responsible authorities in the US and Europe to file legal claims to restore and compensate for the harm they inflicted on us. They have damaged our reputation," said IUMS in a press statement.

"We work for the betterment of all humanity, promoting equality, justice and peace in an increasingly troubled world," said Professor Ali Al Qaradaghi, the secretary general of IUMS.

France hopes to sell fighter jets to Qatar. French defence minister Florence Parly said on Thursday that she is hoping to sell 12 Rafale fighter jets to Qatar when President Emmanuel Macron visits the country on December 7.

"We've also been negotiating for months about the sale of a large number of armoured vehicles and we hope it will be concluded when the president goes to Qatar at the beginning of December," the minister told BFM TV.

Kuwait sends out 'invitations' for GCC summit. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani received on Thursday an invitation from Kuwait to attend the upcoming Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit scheduled for December 5 and 6.

A diplomatic source confirmed on Wednesday that Kuwait will go ahead and host an annual GCC summit next month, and that invitations to all six member Gulf states were sent out.

QIA may invest in local projects. Qatar's Investment Authority CEO Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed al-Thani said on Wednesday that Qatar Investment Authority may invest in state organisations like Qatar Airways and Katara to cope with crises such as the boycott, the Gulf Times reported.

Referring to Katara and Qatar Airways, al-Thani said: "We will be supporting them financially, we will support them in their organisations, provide them human capital". In the months after the boycott, QIA deposited billions of dollars in Qatari banks to offset the imapct of the other Arab states withdrawing money from them.

Qatar Charity chosen as Arab Best Charity of 2017. Qatar Charity (QC), one of three Qatar-based charities accused of being involved in "terrorism", won the award for Arab Best Charity 2017 at the Arab Best Awards held on Wednesday in Marrakech, Morocco.

In 2014, QC was ranked first by the UN for its relief efforts in the Syrian, Palestinian, and Somali crises.

The two discussed countering Iran's "malign" activities in the region and the importance of resolving the ongoing Gulf dispute, US Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

Bahrain postpones trial of 'espionage' trio. Bahrain's High Criminal Court held on Wednesday its second session in the trial of three suspects on charges of having "intelligence links with the State of Qatar" and "revealing defence secrets to a foreign country".

In the first session on Monday, the trial was postponed because none of the suspects were present, while two of the suspects fled Bahrain and will be tried in absentia, Bahrain's News Agency reported on Monday.

In the second session on Wednesday, the first suspect Ali Salman attended with four lawyers. Still, the trial was postponed to December 28.

UAE's FM decries ICC complaint. UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash accused Qatar of standing behind a complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the UAE on Tuesday.

London-based Arab Organization for Human Rights in the UK announced the filing of a complaint to the ICC's public prosecutor office against the UAE 'use of mercenaries' in Yemen.

Bahrain postpones trial of 'espionage' trio. Bahrain's High Criminal Court held on Monday its first session in the trial of three suspects on charges of having "intelligence links with the State of Qatar" and "revealing defence secrets to a foreign country".

The trial has been postponed to Wednesday because none of the suspects were present. Two of the suspects fled Bahrain and will be tried in absentia, Bahrain's News Agency reported on Monday.

Al Thani and his counterparts from Iran and Turkey also signed a transportation agreement aimed at boosting trade between the three countries.

November 26 - December 2

Qatar signed a commercial deal with Iran and Turkey on Sunday. According to Iranian state television, the deal is aimed to form a "joint working group to facilitate the transit of goods between the three countries".

The Financial Tribune said that Iran's exports to Qatar has increased by 119 percent in October 2017 compared to last year.

November 19-25

Calls for bombing Al Jazeera. On Friday, Dhahi Khalfan, a senior security official in the UAE has called for the bombing of the Qatar-based media network, accusing it provoking a bomb and gun assault on a mosque in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Crisis hurts Gulf oil cooperation. Six months into the Gulf crisis, Gulf ministers have scrapped their tradition of meeting behind closed doors to agree on policy before OPEC's twice-yearly talks, an OPEC minister said on Thursday.

Qatar row moves to WTO litigation phase. On Wednesday,Qatar took the final step to start litigation at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in its row with the United Arab Emirates.

Qatar's PM highlights GCC's role. In an interview with Qatar's TV on Wednesday, Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani said that the purpose of the Gulf crisis is to intervene in Qatar's internal affairs.

The prime minister also said that "Qatar is continuing to implement all its major projects, including World Cup projects, to be completed, God willing, ahead of time."

On the GCC, he said: "There is no doubt that the GCC has played an important role in alleviating or finding solutions to some of the issues in the region. The absence of the GCC's role at this time has a negative impact on resolving these issues. In addition, as part of our national responsibility to our people, it is imperative for all of us to work to maintain the existence of the GCC."

Egypt imposes visa on Qataris. As of Thursday, Qatari nationals intending to visit Egypt will have to obtain an entry visa, Egypt's interior ministry said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

The message was about the "brotherly ties" between the two countries and the latest developments in the Gulf region, according to the news agency.

Qatar's foreign minister ends 10-day visit to the US. Speaking in Washington, DC, where he has been holding talks about the Gulf diplomatic crisis, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the blockade on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt is being used as an excuse to disrupt regional stability.

Germany urges work to bridge Gulf divisions. On Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel offered his Qatari counterpart a small piece of the Berlin Wall, saying Germany's post-war history was proof it was possible to overcome deep divisions such as those now plaguing the Gulf region.

"Especially in politically troubled times in which dialogue has sometimes slipped into the background, it is all the more important to build bridges, to emphasize the things that unite us and to help remove walls," Gabriel said at the opening of a new Qatar-funded Arabic cultural center in Berlin.

Qatar urges neighbours to let nationals attend 2022 World Cup. On Monday, Qatar urged the four countries boycotting it to allow their nationals to attend the World Cup in Doha in 2022.

"We hope that the blockading nations see reason in this matter and allow for their people to be able to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary general at Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said.

Qatar's defence minister discusses the Gulf crisis. On Sunday, Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah, Qatar's defence minister, discussed the Gulf crisis and said that the country has never supported any extremist group.

He also said he has never experienced a crisis similar to this one: "I have lived through many events in the region, but the hacking of the QNA website to trigger the crisis was something very strange, with no precedent."

QNHRC decries Umrah restrictions. In a statement issued on Sunday, Qatar's National Human Rights Committee expressed its "deep concern" for the obstacles imposed by Saudi Arabia's authorities on pilgrims from Qatar.

Citing a violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 18, QNHRC said that it will denounce the Saudi restrictions to the Human Rights Enforcement Mechanisms of the United Nations.

November 12-18

Qatar's foreign minister decries 'reckless leadership' in the region. On Friday, Qatar's foreign minister criticised "reckless leadership" in the Gulf region for a number of issues, including the Gulf crisis as well as the situation in Lebanon.

"We see a pattern of irresponsibility and a reckless leadership in the region which is just trying to bully countries into submission," Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in Washington, DC.

'Solving the crisis is in Germany's interest.' "The boycott of #Qatar is threatening regional development and growth ... solving the crisis is also in Germany's interest," Germany's Foreign Office said in a tweet on Friday.

Qatar's National Human Rights Committee meets UN delegation. Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri, chair of the National Human Rights Committee in Qatar, met with a UN delegation from the office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Doha.

The delegation arrived on Friday to collect information on the negative impact of the siege on Qatar's residents and the citizens of the GCC countries.

Qatar participates in anti-ISIL meeting. On Wednesday, a Qatari delegation participated in a meeting of the International Coalition against ISIL in Jordan. Funding terrorism was one of the charges that blockading countries accused Qatar of when they cut off political, economic and diplomatic ties. These allegations have repeatedly been denied by Qatar.

Qatar investigates UAE plot. Qatar has opened an investigation into claims of an alleged plot by the UAE to weaken its currency in the early stages of the Qatar-Gulf crisis, a government spokesman said Sunday.

Emphasising the long-standing relations between the two countries, Sudanese media notes that Qatar "supported Sudan politically and economically when the country faced an international isolation".

Bahrain charges for "espionage with Qatar". Three people have been charged in Bahrain for colluding with Qatar, according to a statement released on Sunday by Bahrain's Public Prosecution.

The three will be presented in court on Monday, November 27.

November 5 - 11

Erdogan to visit Kuwait and Qatar. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to visit Kuwait and Qatar between November 13 and 15, the Turkish presidency's information office said in a statement on Saturday.

Qatar Airways will not attend airshow. Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways' chief executive, will not attend the Middle East's largest international airshow due to open in Dubai on Sunday because of the ongoing Gulf crisis.

ITUC-Africa calls to end kafala. Commending Qatar's latest labour reforms on Thursday, the African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation urged Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to implement similar reforms.

Noting that the three countries account for 85 percent of African migrants workers in the GCC, ITUC-Africa will "step up its campaign to focus on these countries".

UAE planned to attack Qatar's financial system. A United Arab Emirates plan to attack Qatar's financial system has been revealed on Thursday in a folder of an email account belonging to the UAE ambassador to the US, Yousef al-Otaiba.

Qatar Foundation to sell $1.46bn investment. Three Pillars Pte Ltd, an affiliate of the Qatar Foundation, has put up for sale it’s $1.46bn stake in Indian telecoms carrier, Bharti Airtel Ltd, on Tuesday.

Qatar to chair WTO committee. Qatar's Ministry of Economy and Commerce announced on Tuesday that Sheikh Ali bin Alwaleed Al Thani was appointed as the head of the Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMs) committee at the World Trade Organization in Geneva.

In August, Qatar filed a complaint with the WTO over the blockade imposed on it by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

GCC and EU discuss counter-terrorism: Gulf Cooperation Council official Abdulaziz al-Owaisheq and Belgium's deputy foreign minister, Ashton Drake, met on Monday in Riyadh to discuss regional developments and the efforts of the GCC and the European Union to counter "extremism".

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE are blockading Qatar, alleging that it funds "terrorist organisations", an accusation Qatar strongly denies. Bahrain has also called to freeze Qatar's membership in the GCC.

Saudi FM: Dispute with Qatar 'very small'. In an interview with CNN on Monday, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, said the issue with Qatar is “very small” and “should not distract people”.

Al-Jubeir also said that the Gulf countries are not seeking regime change in Qatar. “This is not our policy,” he said. “Our policy is to see a change in behaviour.”

Qatar Airways acquires stake in Cathay Pacific. On Monday, state-owned Qatar Airways acquired its first major stake in an Asian airline, which could potentially allow it to increase traffic through its Doha hub.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE had forbidden Qatar Airways from flying over their airspace, whereas other airlines departing from Qatar would have to inform them at least 24 hours before flying over the airspace.

New Bahraini restrictions. Bahrain's Ministry of Interior announced on Sunday that Bahrainis in Qatar should use their passports to move between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Qatar, and can no longer just use their national ID as is the case with other GCC countries.

October 29 - November 4

Turkey, Qatar ministers talks transportation, military ties

Turkey and Qatar are assessing land, sea, and air transportation opportunities, said Turkish Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication Minister Ahmet Arslan on Sunday in Doha. He called for pursuing dialogue to solve the Gulf crisis, which began in June.

Qatar Airways will commence flights between Adana in southern Turkey and Doha starting on Monday.

Bahrain has claimed the right to take Qatari territory, as tensions between the two Gulf countries heighten amid political deadlock.

A press release published on the country's state news agency on Saturday said that Bahrain had "every right to claim what was cut off forcibly from its land and to dispute the legitimacy of the Qatari rule".

The statement, which references a historical border dispute that was solved by an international court in 2001, did not specify whether Bahrain intends to take any action.

4 November 2017

Qatar FM: Doha ready for dialogue to resolve the crisis

Speaking at the World Policy Conference in Morocco, Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Doha is committed to resolving the conflict through dialogue.

Al Thani said the crisis had no basis and expressed hope that the countries imposing the blockade on Qatar would agree to engage in dialogue as well. He added that the region is already reeling with other conflicts and that another "artificial" crisis will not help the situation.

Foreign ministers of Saudi-led bloc hold talks in Abu Dhabi

The foreign ministers of a Saudi-led bloc boycotting Qatar have held talks in Abu Dhabi, according to Egypt's foreign ministry. The top diplomats of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain met on the sidelines of the Sir Bani Yas Forum, ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said on Twitter.

He said the meeting "reflected common interests", without giving more details. On Friday, Egyptian authorities said Sameh Shoukry, Egypt's foreign minister, would attend the 8th annual session of Sir Bani Yas forum to discuss a host of issues, including the Qatari crisis, the Middle East peace process and developments in Iraq and Libya.

The meeting comes just days after Bahrain's foreign minister, Khalid Al Khalifa, suggested explicitly on his Twitter account freezing Qatar's membership at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The minister also said that Bahrain would not participate in the GCC meetings if Qatar is present at the upcoming GCC summit.

Bahrain has charged the leader of the country's outlawed main opposition party with "spying" and suggested the 2011 Arab Spring protests that gripped the country were instigated by a "foreign country".

Bahrain's public prosecutor charged Ali Salman, secretary-general of the al-Wefaq party, and Hassan Sultan, a former member of parliament, of colluding with Qatar to carry out "hostile acts" in Bahrain.

"The defendants had received financial support from Qatar for carrying out their activities aimed at harming the status and interests of the kingdom," the statement read.

Qatar has expressed regret over Bahrain's decision to impose an entry visa on Qatari nationals and residents amid a political deadlock between the Gulf countries.

Ali Khalfan al-Mansouri, the country's representative to the United Nations in Geneva, said in a statement on Tuesday that these "unprecedented measures in the Gulf states constitute a flagrant violation of the agreements and resolutions of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)".

Bahrain's move, which will be effective from November 10, "reveals its persistence in severing ties of kinship between the Gulf families in contravention of the provisions and principles of the Islamic religion," al-Mansouri continued.

Italian Parliament Delegation in Doha

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi met on Wednesday with a delegation of the Italian Parliament currently visiting the country.

In August this year, Italy signed a 5bn-euro ($5.9bn) agreement with Qatar's naval forces.

During this meeting, they discussed means of enhancing the prospects of cooperation, developments in the region and a number of issues of mutual interest.

31 October 2017

GCC: Solution with royal leaders

In a statement, GCC Secretary-General Abdul Latif al-Zayani said the solution to the months-long diplomatic crisis is not down to him, but to the responsibility of the hands of the Gulf leaders.

"Qatari officials and media know well that resolving the crisis and ending its repercussions is in the hands of the royal leaders of the GCC member states," he said.

Al-Zayani, who is Bahraini, also rejected what he said was an "irresponsible media attack" by some Qatari media to link his nationality with the way he had been dealing with the crisis.

Bahrain is one of the three GCC member-states blockading Qatar.

IMF: Qatar-GCC rift could weaken medium-term growth prospects

The economic impact of the diplomatic rift between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours has so far been limited but a prolonged crisis could weaken the region's mid-term growth, the IMF has said.

In its Regional Economic Outlook released on Tuesday, the IMF warned that if the crisis drags on, it will "weaken medium-term growth prospects, not only for Qatar but also for other GCC countries."

If the rift continues, it will "slow progress toward greater GCC integration and cause a broader erosion of confidence, reducing investment and growth, and increasing funding costs in Qatar and possibly the rest of the GCC," the report said.

The king of Bahrain has said his country will not take part in any summit or meeting attended by Qatar unless Doha "corrects its approach".

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Monday said that Qatar had shown that it did not respect the treaties and charters that the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) was founded upon, according to BNA, the kingdom's official news agency.

"As long as Qatar continues this approach, the Kingdom of Bahrain cannot participate in any GCC Summit or meeting attended by Qatar unless it corrects its approach, comes to its senses, and responds to the demands of the countries that suffered so much from its policies," he said during his weekly cabinet meeting in the capital, Manama.

The Bahraini king also issued a directive to impose visas on Qatari nationals planning to visit the tiny kingdom.

There was no immediate response from Qatar.

30 October 2017

US treasury secretary vows cooperation with Qatar against 'terror financing'

US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin has vowed to "enhance" US cooperation with Qatar "to counter the "financing of terrorism".

Mnuchin was in Doha on Monday to hold meeting with his Qatari counterpart Ali Shareef al-Emadi, as well as the country's emir and prime minister.

In a statement Mnuchin said, "We affirm that the United States and Qatar will significantly increase our cooperation on these issues to ensure that Qatar is a hostile environment for terrorist financing".

For his part, Emadi said that the latest agreement with the US "is a clear indicator of our long-standing political commitment to combatting money laundering and terror financing".

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has said, he wanted an end to the Gulf dispute, and that "Nothing is going to be above our dignity, our sovereignty. But we want it to end. I always say that."

"If they (are) going to walk one meter toward me, I'm willing to walk 10,000 miles towards them," he told 60 Minutes programme in an interview aired on Sunday.

"I'm fearful that if anything happens, if any military act happens, this region will be in chaos," he said.

The emir of Qatar has also said that the Doha-based Al Jazeera television network will not be closed down as demanded by the four countries.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said a group of Arab states blockading Qatar for almost five months is seeking "regime change".

"We want freedom of speech for the people of the region and they're not happy with that, and so they think that this is a threat to them."

The two discussed the latest developments in the Gulf crisis and ways to develop the relations between Qatar and the EU, according to Qatar's Foreign Ministry.

Alliot-Marie was in Kuwait on Friday, as part of a tour that also includes Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

DARP works to "ensure that the European Parliament's position is taken into account in all policy areas pertaining to the EU's relations with the countries in the Arabian Peninsula".

28 October 2017

US envoy retracts Qatar funding Hamas comments

Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, has retracted previous comments in which she claimed that Qatar was funding the Gaza-based Palestinian political movement Hamas.

Her reported comments, made in a memo to Congress obtained by BuzzFeed, come as the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson expressed support in resolving the Gulf crisis.

According to BuzzFeed, Haley said "While the Qatari government does not fund Hamas, it does allow Hamas political representatives to be based in Qatar, which Qatar believes limits Iran's influence and pressure over Hamas ... Qatar has committed to take action against terrorist financing, including shutting down Hamas bank accounts."

This is a reversal of her position at the start of the crisis in which she viewed the blockade as an "opportunity" to tell Qatar to "quit funding Hamas".

The Qatari emir says the US president has offered to hold a meeting at his retreat in Camp David to put an end to the Gulf diplomatic crisis.

Speaking to the US television programme 60 Minutes, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said Trump plans to bring the Gulf neighbours together in a bid to to mediate in the dispute.

"It is true, he [Trump] suggested that we come," Sheikh Tamim told CBS News' 60 Minutes about the US president's offer to hold a meeting at Camp David.

"I told him straight away, 'Mr President, we are very ready, I've been asking for dialogue from day one'."

When asked by host Charlie Rose about the blockading countries' reaction, the emir replied: "It was supposed to be very soon, this meeting, but I don't have any responses."

26 October 2017

Saudi's crown prince says Gulf-Qatar rift a 'very small issue'

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said that his country's dispute with Qatar has not affected its military operation in Yemen.

In an exclusive interview with Reuters news agency, he said, "Qatar is a very, very, very small issue."

Mohammed bin Salman said that its war in Yemen will continue in order to prevent the Houthi rebels from turning into another "Hezbollah" on Saudi Arabia's southern border.

25 October 2017

Former Qatari PM voices concern over Gulf crisis

Former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasim Al Thani has called on King Salman bin Abdel Aziz al Saud of Saudi Arabia “to take the initiative”, help the region, and work to resolve the current Gulf crisis.

The former PM said King Salman should act before those who work on the opposite direction destroy the region, expressing dismay over the deterioration of relations between GCC member nations.

He also praised the emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, and his efforts to resolve the dispute calling his efforts “herculean”.

All parties made mistakes in the past, including Qatar, but Qatar has never acted with ill intent or malice against any of its Arab brothers especially its GCC partner, he told Qatar TV.

He rejected that Doha has acted against Riyadh, but stressed that his country has always coordinated and aligned its foreign policy especially regarding Iran, Yemen and Syria with the “Big Sister" Saudi Arabia.

Qatar and Russia sign military agreements

Qatar and Russia have signed military agreements related to air defences and military supplies, Qatar's Armed Forces said a statement.

The deals were signed during a visit by Russian Defence minister Sergey Shouigu to Qatar on Wednesday.

Shouigu held a meeting with his Qatari counterpart Khaled bin Mohammed al-Attiya, during which they discussed the Gulf crisis, the war in Syria, and efforts in combat terrorism.

Qatar has reiterated its readiness for dialogue to solve the GCC crisis and called on its citizens and media outlets to refrain from attacking "Gulf symbols".

A statement by Qatar's foreign ministry on Tuesday was in response to a call by the Kuwaiti emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, for all sides to de-escalate the ongoing Gulf crisis.

The statement said Doha "hailed the appeal" made by the Kuwaiti leader and did not seek to "escalate the situation".

"Qatar has a strong belief in the fairness of its position in this crisis and its adherence to dialogue based on mutual respect, on the basis of its principles and values," the statement read.

24 October 2017

Kuwait warns against escalation

Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah has warned of dangers of escalation in the Gulf crisis, cautioning that the collapse of the Gulf Cooperation Council would be the end of one of the last bastions of Arab cooperation.

“We must be aware of the risks of escalation in the Gulf Crisis,” Sheikh Sabah said at a session in the Kuwaiti parliament, explaining that the crisis could worsen.

The Emir stressed that the crisis is on the top of Kuwait’s agenda and that the country’s aim is to resolve the issue and to protect the GCC from collapse, adding that every side is depending on Kuwaiti mediation.

23 October 2017

UAE hires US firm close to Steve Bannon to launch an anti-Qatar campaign

A company with "close ties" with Steve Bannon, ex-chief strategist of Donald Trump, was hired by the United Arab Emirates to launch a social media campaign against Qatar, US website McClatchy has reported.

McClatchy said that a $330,000 contract was paid by the UAE to the firm in order to launch a social media campaging that included calling for the boycott of Qatar.

The hired firm is SCL Social Limited and is part of the same group as Cambridge Analytica. Cambridge Analytica is the firm that Donald Trump hired during his presidential campaign to reach voters with "hyper-targeted online messaging", the website said.

Police interrogation of Hamood Sultan

Bahrain’s former football goalkeeper Hamood Sultan was briefly detained by police in Bahrain on Monday, triggering a social media outcry with the hashtag #حمود_سلطان (his name in Arabic).

Later on Monday, a video on social media showed Sultan saying: “There is nothing.. the matter was simple”. In the video, Sultan also praised the King of Bahrain and thanked those who have asked about him.

Sultan previously worked in Qatar for Al Kass Sports TV Channels and had praised Qatar. Public expressions of sympathy towards Qatar are criminalized by law in Bahrain and the UAE.

Qatari defence ministry said in a statement released on Monday that the new office will further bolster cooperation between the two countries' armies in “combating violent extremism, terrorism and bringing stability to our region.”

During the visit, bilateral relations, as well as regional issues, will be discussed.

The Turkey-Qatar Supreme Strategic Committee was established in 2014 as a mechanism for cooperation and consultation between the two countries.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repetitively spoken against the blockade.

22 October 2017

9:40pm - Qatar's NHRC chief hopes for Spain support over blockade

The head of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee said he hoped Spain, through its membership in the United Nations Human Rights Council, would condemn the violations of the blockade imposed on Qatar by its Gulf neighbours.

Speaking at a press conference in Spain's capital, Madrid, Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri said, "We thank Spain for its position, its support for dialogue to resolve the current Gulf crisis."

He added, "Because Qatar is aware of Spain's respect of rights and freedoms, especially when it comes to violations of human rights, we hope that Spain will support Qatar to condemn violations and unjust aggression by the blockading states."

9:00pm - Tillerson: Saudis not ready for talks to end Gulf crisis

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Saudi Arabia is not willing to begin direct talks to resolve a months-long diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.

The top US diplomat made the comments on Sunday during a visit to Qatar, where he arrived following a stop in Saudi Arabia as part of a new push to end the dispute.

"In my meetings with [Saudi] Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, I asked him to please engage in dialogue, [but] there is not a strong indication that parties are ready to talk yet. We cannot force talks upon people who are not ready to talk," said Tillerson, referring to his earlier discussions in Riyadh.

Al-Bashir arrives in Kuwait

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir began on Sunday a two-day visit to Kuwait and Qatar.

Bashir will discuss with the two Emirs the recent developments in the region.

In his meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Al Bashir will also discuss the two nation’s bilateral relations and peace and development efforts in Sudan.

Sudan is among the Arab states that refused to take sides in the ongoing diplomatic crisis and declared its support for the Kuwaiti efforts to settle the rift.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Saudi Arabia for the start of his Middle East tour as part of a new push to end the Gulf crisis.

Tillerson offered little optimism about a solution to the Gulf crisis ahead of his Middle East tour, blaming the Saudi-led group of countries for the lack of progress.

"There seems to be a real unwillingness on the part of some of the parties to want to engage... It's up to the leadership of the quartet when they want to engage with Qatar because Qatar has been very clear - they're ready to engage," Tillerson told Bloomberg news agency on Thursday.

Tillerson is also expected to visit Qatar on Sunday.

Qatar's non-oil exports recover

Non-oil export figures from July to September were almost twice as high as in June.

in September, the exports fell by 12.6 percent compared to August, but were 5 percent higher than in May before the blockade

"The substantial rise in exports to the normal level affirms that the unfair siege imposed on Qatar couldn’t stop or hinder the export processes for the Qatari private sector due to the robustness of the economy," said Qatar Chamber Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has denounced the "unjust siege" of his country, as he declared that he is "open to dialogue" to resolve the Gulf crisis.

In a statement following his meeting with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo in Jakarta, Sheikh Tamim said Qatar is "ready to conduct a dialogue", declaring, "We are all brothers and suffering because of this crisis."

After two days of a secret ballot that could run until Friday, Qatar's Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari leads France's Audrey Azoulay and Egyptian hopeful Moushira Khattab.

In an interview with Egypt Today, Egypt's top diplomat, Sameh Shoukry, suggested Qatar was using its financial power to influence UNESCO's 58-member executive council.

"It is an organisation that is owned by international society and cannot be sold to a particular state or individual,” he was quoted as saying when asked about the Qatari candidate's campaign pitch, "I'm not coming empty-handed."

Kawari, the Qatari candidate, has so far not reacted to Egyptian allegations, simply tweeting on Wednesday: "Al-Kawari tipped to head UNESCO"

10 October 2017

UAE: Qatar review a must before World Cup

"Qatar's hosting of World Cup 2022 should include a repudiation of policies supporting extremism & terrorism. Doha should review its record," UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash wrote on Twitter.

Qatar, which denies accusations by the UAE and some other Gulf states said in a statement that the UAE's charge was desperate and "weak."

"(The) UAE's demand that Qatar give up the World Cup shows their illegal blockade is founded on petty jealousy, not real concerns," Qatar's government communications office said.

"Their weak attempts to tie the hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to their illegal blockade show their desperation to justify their inhumane action," it added in a statement.

Gargash made his comments after a former Dubai police chief wrote on Twitter this week that the Gulf crisis could end if Doha forfeited hosting the World Cup.

Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary-general of the Qatar World Cup Supreme Committee, says the regional blockade against the country poses "no risk" to the football tournament in 2022.

"We have come under criticism and attack over the years, but we have always faced our critics," Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Qatar World Cup supreme committee, told The Associated Press news agency.

Al-Thawadi maintained that logistical obstacles are being overcome and building work is continuing with only "minimal" cost increases.

"Our projects are going ahead as scheduled. This (blockade) is no risk in relation to the hosting of the World Cup."

The US military has halted some exercises with its Gulf Arab allies over the ongoing diplomatic crisis targeting Qatar, trying to use its influence to end the months-long dispute, authorities told The Associated Press.

While offering few details, the acknowledgement by the US military's Central Command shows the concern it has over the conflict gripping the Gulf, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and crucial bases for its campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group, as well as the war in Afghanistan.

"We are opting out of some military exercises out of respect for the concept of inclusiveness and shared regional interests," Air Force Colonel John Thomas, a Central Command spokesperson, said in a statement.

"We will continue to encourage all partners to work together toward the sort of common solutions that enable security and stability in the region."

4 October 2017

2:23pm - Qatari forces conclude military exercises

Government troops known as the Emiri Land Forces have concluded a four-day military exercises in Sealine and Al Galayel district of the country.

According to a government statement the exercises, which include reconnaissance operations as well as air landing, was held with the participation of joint special forces, and aimed at "defending the state's territory, airspace and vitalk, economic and strategic facilities".

10:36am - Qatar: We have enough reserves to support banks

Qatar's government has enough reserves to support its banks in the face of sanctions imposed by other Arab states, central bank governor Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani said in a statement on Wednesday.

Sheikh Abdullah dismissed reports of strain on the banking system as fake news and rumours, adding that domestic liquidity was up 8.3 percent at the end of July while the monetary base had grown 1.7 percent.

Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, is in Qatar to hold talks with top officials, a day after visiting Oman

His trip to Doha comes after Qatar in August restored full diplomatic relations with Iran.Zarif is to meet Qatar's emir and foreign minister.

Zarif is to meet Qatar's emir and foreign minister.

1:30pm - Iran FM to visit Qatar

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif will visit Qatar on Monday, officials said, for talks on relations between Tehran and Doha that have caused tensions in the Gulf.

Zarif left Tehran on Monday morning for Oman and was to head to Doha in the afternoon, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi told AFP.

It will be his first visit to Doha since Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of backing extremism and fostering ties with their Shiite rival Iran.

Zarif is to meet Qatar's emir and foreign minister.

Ghassemi said talks would focus on relations in the Gulf, economic cooperation and the latest developments in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

1 October 2017

10:48pm - US officials oppose bid to shut Taliban office: report

The Trump administration's reported consideration of a plan that would aim to close the Taliban political office in Doha has triggered an unusual internal protest from state department officials who say it would undermine US interests in Afghanistan, according to a Wall Street Journal report quoting current and former US officials.

A group of state department specialists on South Asia filed a rare internal "dissent channel cable" on Friday to urge that the US keep the Taliban office open and launch more intensive talks to end the 16-year-old war in Afghanistan, according to people familiar with the move, the report says.

The unclassified memo to top state department leaders urged them to keep the Taliban office open to help ensure that a serious push for peace talks is not put on the back burner while the US sends 4,000 more American soldiers into Afghanistan to try to break a battlefield stalemate with the Taliban.

1:30pm - UN chief urges Gulf states to sit down for talks

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reiterated his support for the ongoing Kuwaiti mediation efforts aimed at ending the Gulf crisis, Kuwait News Agency quoted his statement as saying.

Guterres called on all parties to resolve their differences by sitting down at the negotiating table and showing a spirit of good-neighbourliness and respect.

He said the UN is ready to support mediation efforts led by the emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad al-Jaber Al Sabah.

12:00pm - Qatar Airways' cargo division surges despite blockade

As the world's third-largest cargo operator, Qatar Airways continues to invest in fleet expansion, helping secure the supply of essential items and medicines at a time when an illegal blockade is imposed, the company's chief executive says.

The blockade by neighbouring states has only boosted Qatar Airways' cargo business, figures show. The national airline saw a 160-percent surge in its cargo business in June this year compared to the same month in 2016.

"We are growing month-on-month and since 2015, we have been the third largest international cargo operator in the world," Baker said during the delivery of Qatar Airways first 747-8 freighter at Boeing's production facility in Everett, Washington. "Our sights are set on number one."

30 September 2017

11:35pm - Qatari and Turkish leaders hold phone conversation

The emir of Qatar has spoken over the phone with Turkey's president to discuss "a set of current issues on the regional and international fronts", according to Qatari state media.

Erdogan has been a major supporter of Doha since June 5, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt cut ties and blockaded Qatar.

The Turkish president has strongly spoken out against the sanctions applied by the four countries, while Turkey has also sent cargo ships and hundreds of planes loaded with food to break the blockade.

11:00am - Seminar speakers slam 'un-Islamic' blockade

Expressing disappointment over "illegal, unethical and un-Islamic" actions of siege countries, speakers at an international seminar in Doha emphasised the need for dialogue to resolve political disputes, Qatari newspaper The Peninsula reported.

Professor Aisha Al Mannai, director of the Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Thani Center for Islamic Contributions to Civilizations, said: "The world has witnessed this unfair generalisation against the state of Qatar with allegations that it supports terrorism without providing evidence."

"This crisis has been marked by the moral downfall of everything - politicians, religious scholars, media professionals and even artists," she said.

Jaber Al Harimi, former editor-in-chief of Qatar's Al Sharq newspaper, lauded the role of Qatari media in covering the crisis.

"The siege countries, by forgetting all ethics, are spreading lies, disinformation against Qatar while the Qatari media has remained committed to morality without resorting to lies and slander," Al Harimi said.

9:00am - Report: Qatar's ostracisation could backfire on Dubai

Dubai's economic ties to Qatar could hurt its own economy amid the months-long blockade, Euromoney reports.

Qataris own large amounts of property in Dubai, buying more than $500m of real estate there last year alone, and Qatari gas is one of Dubai's main sources of energy.

The biggest impact, however, could be to the reputation of Dubai as a business-friendly jurisdiction, it said. Showing sympathy for Qatar in the United Arab Emirates is now a crime punishable by a fine of $136,000 and up to 15 years in prison.

29 September 2017

8:00pm - Qatar holds cyber security meeting in New York

The Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations has held a high-level meeting on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting, which was titled, "From cyberattack to illegal measures: the blockade against the State of Qatar", coincided with a major diplomatic crisis in the Gulf, highlighting the impact of the dispute and its multifaceted repercussions on the countries involved.

The first session examined the events since the May 25 cyberattack on Qatar News Agency (QNA) and the publication of false statements attributed to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

In a speech during the session, Attorney General Ali bin Fetais Al Marri described hacking as one of the most dangerous crimes threatening international peace and security, QNA reported.

Marri said the issue is of great concern to the international community, stressing that countries should take measures not only to ban and punish those involved in piracy for political or personal gain, but also treat them as a major threat to international peace and security.

"This was a turning point in the events we, in Qatar, did not expect it, but we were able to deal with it and overcome the obstacles created by these sudden actions to ensure the continuity of normal daily life," he said.

2:00am - US Defense chief Mattis makes surprise Qatar visit

James Mattis, US defense secretary, has made an unannounced visit to Qatar.

He held talks with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah at Al-Udeid air base, home to around 10,000 US troops, on Thursday.

1:00am - Qatar’s stock market most positive in region: polls

Sentiment towards Qatar's stock market, which has fallen after four neighbouring Arab states cut diplomatic and transport ties with Doha on June 5, has improved considerably, latest Reuters polls show.

Thirty-one percent of Middle East funds now expect to raise allocations to Qatari equities and eight percent to decrease them, making Qatar the most positive market in the region.

"The Qatari market experienced a remarkable 11 consecutive days in the red during September. With valuations reaching distressed levels, this was followed by six days of gains as local and regional buyers rushed to take advantage," said Akber Khan, head of asset management at Al Rayan Investment in Doha.

Qatari company Trans Oceans has signed an agreement with Omani maritime transport firm Naseera to facilitate the movement of ferries transporting goods, equipment, cars and tourists between the two countries.

The deal was struck on the sidelines of the Oman Products Exhibition, Qatar News Agency reported.

Qatar and Oman are two of the six countries that comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council. Fellow GCC members Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, along with Egypt, cut ties with Qatar on June 5 and imposed a land, air and sea blockade on it.

Kuwait, also a GCC member, is leading mediation efforts to resolve the crisis.

3:15pm - QP CEO says Qatar has not cut off gas to UAE

Qatar Petroleum President Saad Sherida Al Kaabi said that Qatar will honour its commitment to supply oil and gas to the United Arab Emirates.

The state of Qatar has dealt with the gas pipeline to the UAE in a civilised and humanitarian manner, he said.

Al Kaabi also said that Qatar will maintain its position as the world’s largest producer of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), and that there is an "expansion of our investments inside and outside Qatar."

Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Chairman Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri underlined the urgent need to put an end to the blockade during his meeting with US officials.

During Marri's meeting with the two US representatives, Republican Congressmen Trent Franks and Gus Bilirakis, he urged them to condemn the blockade against Qatar and to take the appropriate measures to help lift it.

26 September 2017

4:00pm - Gulf diplomatic hurdles trip up Qatar's racing camels

Among the victims of the GCC crisis are 200 Qatari-owned racing camels.

The camels had to be shipped back from UAE via Oman after they were banned from competing. Saudi Arabia also expelled hundreds Qatari-owned camels from their country. Many did not make it back onto Qatari soil.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the blockade is pushing Qatar into closer economic ties with Iran, before questioning the wisdom of the Gulf Cooperation Council's strategy.

"They said Qatar was now closer to Iran. By their measures they are pushing Qatar to Iran. They are giving Iran, or any regional force, Qatar like a gift," he told the French Institute of International Relations on Monday.

The FM added that Qatar still has political differences with Iran, including over Syria.

25 September 2017

09:30am - Qatari FM discusses Gulf crisis in Paris

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani will speak at the French Institute of International Relations on 'The Gulf Crisis: the View from Doha', at 12:30pm (Doha time).

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the lifting of a Saudi-led embargo on Qatar in effect since June.

Macron called for "the embargo measures affecting the people of Qatar, in particular families and students, to be lifted as quickly as possible", on September 15.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani returned to the Qatari capital on Sunday after concluding his first foreign trip since the blockade against his country was announced on June 5.

Thousands of people lined up the main boulevard in Doha and waved the national colour, as they greeted the country's leader.

On Tuesday, Sheikh Tamim spoke at the UN General Assembly in New York and accused countries that imposed the "unjust blockade" of seeking to destabilise the gas and oil-rich Gulf state.

6:00am - Qataris plan solidarity event for Emir

Residents will welcome the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani back to Qatar on Sunday evening with an event planned to express solidarity on the Doha's Corniche.

Sheikh Tamim travelled a few weeks ago to meet with world leaders in Turkey, Germany, France and the United States. It was his first trip since the Gulf dispute began in June.

Officials and residents announced on Twitter that they will host a warm welcome for him at the airport, followed by an event at the Corniche.

23 September 2017

7:00pm - Saudi FM: 'Qatar jeopardising policy of combating terrorism'

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has reiterated the position of the four blockading Arab nations, demanding Qatar to follow the principles of international law in combating "terrorism".

Speaking at the United Nations 72nd General Assembly in New York on Saturday, Jubeir said: "The crisis in Qatar is jeopardising our policy of combating terrorism and extremism and the cutting off funding of such terrorism."

The Saudi diplomat added: "Saudi Arabia will continue to counter extremism and terrorism."

6:00am - UAE says Iran main obstacle to Arab peace

The foreign minister of the UAE has said Iran's "hostile and expansionist policy" is the major obstacle to solving all crises in the Arab world.

At the UN General Assembly annual ministerial meeting, Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan accused Iran of interfering in internal affairs of other countries and supporting "terrorist groups".

He said Iran must realise that the best basis "for a harmonious relationship with the states in the Arab Gulf" is to respect the sovereignty of countries in the region.

The head of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has issued a new call for international observers to urgently visit Qatar and its neighbours blockading it to assess the humanitarian impact caused by the moves of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, Qatar’s News Agency (QNA) reported.

Ali bin Sumaikh al-Marri’s call came during a meeting with Craig Mokhiber, head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in New York and deputy secretary-general for Human Rights of the UN.

Marri urged the international technical mission to hold direct meetings with nationals and residents of Qatar, as well as citizens of the three blockading countries, to listen to their complaints and document the psychological, material and moral damage they suffered, QNA said.

Somalia's government has rebuked its three semi-autonomous regions for cutting ties with Qatar, saying it was determined to stay neutral in the Gulf nation's dispute with other Arab states.

"The cabinet reaffirms the federal government's decision in June ... that Somalia is neutral about the conflict of Gulf countries," read a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire.

"[The Arab states] are trying to give more energy and emphasise more their relations with these regional governments, trying to pressure them to go against the federal government," said Nairobi-based Somalia expert Ahmed Roble.

21 September 2017

23:15 - Qatari FM discusses Gulf crisis with Italian, Ukrainian, Australian counterparts and EU foreign affairs chief in New York

Qatar's foreign minister met with several dignitaries on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York to discuss, among others, the blockade imposed on Qatar by a group of Arab countries.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani held talks with Federica Mogherini, the European Union foreign affairs chief, as well as his Italian, Ukrainian and Australian counterparts, Angelino Alfano, Pavlo Klimkin and Julie Bishop respectively.

During the meetings, the Qatari foreign minister discussed the humanitarian impact of the blockade and stressed the importance of dialogue to solve the crisis.

9:00am - Qatar and Saudi Arabia to compete at show jumping competition

At Ashghabat 2017 in Turkmenistan, riders from Qatar and Saudi Arabia will compete while their countries are locked in a bitter political dispute.

The Gulf diplomatic crisis spilled over onto sports when it led to the cancellation of this year's Gulf Cup of Nations in football. However, there is hope that the games in this horse-loving nation can promote cooperation and understanding.

20 September 2017

10:40 - Qatari emir discusses Gulf crisis with Russian FM at the UN

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met on Wednesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City.

The two discussed the Gulf dispute among other topics.

A similar meeting took place at the UN between Sheikh Tamim and UN's human rights chief, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein.

10:35 - Qatargas to sell 1.5 million tonnes of LNG a year to Turkey's Botas

State-run Qatargas, the world's largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG), said on Wednesday it had signed a medium-term sales and purchase agreement with Turkey's Botas to deliver 1.5m tonnes of LNG each year for three years.

"Qatargas said it would supply the LNG from Qatargas 2 to either the Egegaz LNG Terminal, the Marmara LNG Terminal or the Etki LNG terminal in Turkey.

"We are very pleased to announce this new agreement with Botas which will further strengthen our relationship with our friends in Turkey," said Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, president and CEO of Qatar Petroleum and chairman of board of directors of Qatargas.

US President Donald Trump has said on Tuesday he thought the dispute between Qatar and some of its Arab neighbors would be resolved quickly.

"We are right now in a situation where we're trying to solve a problem in the Middle East. And I think we'll get it solved, I have a very strong feeling that it will be solved pretty quickly," Trump said in New York as he met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has said that a group of Arab countries imposing an "unjust blockade" on Qatar are seeking to destabilise a sovereign state.

"I stand before you while my country and my people are subjected to an ongoing and unjust blockade imposed since June 5 by neighbouring countries," Sheikh Tamim said, addressing the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday.

He asked if this was not a definition of "terrorism", saying that the moves by the blockading countries were an assault against a sovereign state and a violation against human rights.

Snapchat has blocked access to Al Jazeera news articles and videos in Saudi Arabia following a request from the government, a spokesperson for Snap Inc has said.

Saudi Arabia's government told the social media company that the Al Jazeera Discover Publisher Channel violated local laws.

"We make an effort to comply with local laws in the countries where we operate," a Snapchat spokesperson said in a statement.

Morad Rayyan, head of Incubation and Innovation Research at Al Jazeera, said the move was "unprecedented".

"Snapchat is a US-based company, publicly traded, and it stands for freedom of expression. We are working on contingency plans to ensure our content is available on other platforms," Rayyan said.

6:00am - Qatar proposes a compensation committee

Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) proposed the establishment of a compensation committee, within the framework of the UN General Assembly, for victims of the unilateral actions taken against Qatar.

The proposal was made during the NHRC's comments in a report presented to the Human Rights Council by Idriss Jazairy, Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures.

The NHRC said that the current situation met all the conditions for the creation of specialised compensation committees, as outlined in the report, adding that this committee must be established under strict guidelines and must have wide authority to make decisions.

Qatar's Defence Minister Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah and the United Kingdom's Defence Secretary Michael Fallon signed a letter of intent on Sunday in Doha to purchase 24 Typhoon aircraft.

"This will be the first major defence contract with Qatar, one of the UK's strategic partners. This is an important moment in our defence relationship and the basis for even closer defence cooperation between our two countries," said Fallon.

"We also hope that this will help enhance security within the region across all Gulf allies."

5:45pm - Qatar's FM calls on world leaders to do more against terrorism

Qatar's Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said the world leaders are not doing enough to combat terrorism.

Speaking at the US-Islamic World Forum in New York City, he said: "Terrorism is a scary phenomenon... violence and hatred have helped a lot in the eruption and creation of the terrorist organisations. The international community and the world in general has not done enough against terrorism."

12:00pm - Qatari stocks continues to slide

Qatar's stock market headed for its tenth straight losing session on Sunday while Saudi Arabia's index bucked an otherwise weak region because of gains in the petrochemical sector.

On Friday, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said Qatar was ready to sit at the negotiating table to try to end a dispute with its Gulf Arab neighbours. But in the absence of a positive response from the Saudi-led coalition boycotting Qatar, investors did not take the remarks as a sign that the dispute was moving closer to resolution.

In Saudi Arabia, all but one of the 14 listed petrochemical shares rose after Brent crude closed near a five-month peak on Friday.

11:20am - Qatar's foreign minister to keynote US-Islamic World forum

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani will deliver a keynote address at the US-Islamic World Forum in New York on Sunday.

The annual forum, now in its 13th year, is organised by the Brookings Institution in conjunction with the state of Qatar. This year's theme is "Crisis and Cooperation" and discussion topics include ending conflicts in the Middle East and the future of pluralism in the Arab world.

16 September 2017

6:25pm - Food price inflation eases in Qatar during August

Qatar's government data showed on Saturday that food price inflation eased in the country during August, suggesting the country was finding ways to reduce the impact of economic sanctions imposed by four Arab states.

Food and beverage prices climbed 4.5 percent from a year earlier in July, their fastest increase since at least 2014, and shot up 4.2 percent from the previous month.

In August, however, food and beverage prices only rose 2.8 percent from a year ago and fell back 0.6 percent from July, suggesting Qatar had succeeded in establishing new channels to obtain food economically.

Qatari shipping lines, which lost the use of Dubai as a trans-shipment centre because of the sanctions, have been establishing new services via Oman, Kuwait and the Indian subcontinent.

Qatari food processors have boosted their operations to make up for the disruption to imports.

9:05am - Qatar-France naval drill concludes

Qatar's naval forces have completed two days of maritime exercises with French forces.

Qatar's defence ministry said the joint drills were aimed at fighting terrorism, smuggling and keeping stability in the region. The exercises took place in Qatari regional waters

9:00am - Sheikh Tamim arrives in New York City

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thaniarrived in New York City on Friday evening to attend the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly.

US President Donald Trump is expected to address the assembly for the first time, and will meet with the leaders of several countries including Qatar.

8:30am – Qatar newspaper highlights emir's tour to Turkey, Europe

The Qatar daily newspaper Al Raya on Saturday highlighted the political significance of the emir's recent tour to France, Turkey, and Germany, saying talks dealt with key regional and international developments.

Turkey, Germany and France have lent support to Qatar's position andcalled for dialogue and negotiation to serve the interests of all parties, while warning against the language of escalation, threats, dictates and prejudice, Al Raya's editorial said.

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, chairman of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), said UAE universities have refused to provide Qatari students with documents relating to their education.

Al Marri also highlighted employment rights violations affecting expatriate staff who have been forced to leave their jobs in Qatar and return to their home countries.

Describing the siege as "an illegal blockade", Al Marri said everyone who travels to Qatar could be subject to prison or financial fines. He also condemned the punishment of those who raise objections to the siege or call for dialogue.

NHRC said it has received 3,346 complaints as result of the siege on Qatar, including 620 complaints from affected families.

15 September 2017

10:07pm - Trump to meet Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim

US President Donald Trump will hold a meeting with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting next week in New York, the White House said on Friday.

He will meet Sheikh Tamim on Tuesday, and leaders from Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, the United Kingdom and Egypt on Wednesday, a White House spokesman said on Friday.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged the lifting of a Saudi-led embargo on Qatar in effect since June.

Macron is calling for "the embargo measures affecting the people of Qatar, in particular families and students, to be lifted as quickly as possible," the president's office said in a statement on Friday after he met Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Macron "expressed his concern over the tensions that threaten regional stability, undermining the political resolution of crises and our collective fight against terrorism," the statement said.

Speaking at a press conference in Berlin with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said he is ready to sit at a negotiating table to solve the three-month-old crisis.

For her part, Merkel said that no solution was visible yet but Germany would like to help resolve the crisis.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim held talks in Turkey with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his first trip abroad since the start of the Gulf diplomatic crisis.

The talks got under way on Thursday at Erdogan's presidential palace in the capital Ankara, the Turkish presidency said.

After visiting Turkey, Sheikh Tamim was due to visit Berlin on Friday for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, his first trip to a Western capital since the crisis began. Sheikh Tamim was also due in Paris for talks with the French president.

6:42pm - Turkey and Kuwait voice concern over Gulf crisis

Turkey and Kuwait have expressed concerns over the ongoing crisis between Saudi-led bloc and Qatar, with Turkey extending its full support to the mediation efforts carried out by the Kuwaiti emir to resolve the crisis.

This came following a meeting between Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and his Kuwaiti counterpart in Ankara on Thursday.

2:41pm - 100 days have passed since the Gulf blockade was imposed

This week marks 100 days since four Arab states began a blockade against Qatar, sparking a diplomatic crisis.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt accuse Qatar of supporting extremism, which it denies.

Saudi Arabia usually takes the lead in Gulf affairs, but what is interesting this time is the prominence of the UAE.

13 September 2017

6:00pm - Qatar's emir to meet Turkish President Erdogan

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will hold talks in Ankara on Thursday with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, an ally of Doha in its dispute with Gulf Arab neighbours.

Turkey's presidency announced Sheikh Tamim's trip in a statement on Wednesday but gave no details of the talks, which will coincide with a visit to Ankara by the prime minister of Kuwait, which has sought to mediate in the Gulf Arab dispute.

3:00pm - Negative rating credit for GCC, says Moody's Investors

A three-month dispute between Qatar and four Arab countries has had a negative impact on credit for all six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, with Qatar and Bahrain facing the worst impact, Moody's Investors Service has said.

More than three months after three Gulf states - Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - and Egypt severed diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, the crisis has created uncertainty in the region, the ratings agency said.

12 September 2017

11:30pm - Art exhibition '100 Days of Blockade' unveiled in Doha

Qatar Museums launched on Tuesday the first stage of the "100 Days of Blockade" art initiative, unveiling five emotive artworks for citizens and residents at Doha Fire Station.

The powerful artworks, which are showcased on the facade of the Fire Station building, reflect each artists personal take on the blockade.

The medium of choice was graffiti, evoking its origins as a form of activism and self-expression, which is easily accessible by the broader community.

The artists involved in this initiative are Mubarak Al Malik, Ali Al Kuwari and Thamer Al Dosari from Qatar; Dimitrje Bugarski from Serbia and Assil Diab from Sudan.

Diplomats from Qatar and the four states blockading the Gulf nation have exchanged heated words at an Arab League meeting in Cairo on live television.

During his opening speech, Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad al-Muraikhi referred to Iran as an "honourable country" and said ties had warmed with its neighbour since the blockade.

In response, Ahmed al-Kattan, Saudi Arabia's envoy to the Arab League, said: "Congratulations to Iran and soon, God willing, you will regret it.

The Qatari diplomat lamented Kattan's tone in the exchange, saying: "[It] is all threats and I don't think he has the authority to threaten and speak like this."

The exchange then descended into a row during which Kattan and Muraikhi each told the other to be quiet.

7:30pm - Minister: Qatar has not missed any oil or gas shipments

Qatar's Energy Minister Mohammed al-Sada said on Tuesday his country had not missed any oil or gas shipments despite the blockade imposed by its neighbours.

"During this blockade, we have never missed a single shipment of oil or gas to any of our consuming partners," he said at an event in the capital Doha.

"That shows how committed Qatar is, not only to our economy here and reliability but also to the consuming countries because this is a very strategic commodity," Sada said.

The International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has condemned the reported arrest of Muslim preachers and scholars in Saudi Arabia, urging Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to order their release.

Salman al-Audah, a prominent Muslim preacher and member of the IUMS's board of trustees, and more than 20 others "should not be used as pawns in political disputes", said IUMS in a statement issued late on Monday, referring to the Gulf rift.

"In regards to the crisis [with] the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, al-Audah has done nothing but call for unity between these brotherly countries," the statement read, noting that his last tweet urged GCC members to "come together for the sake of their people".

5:15pm - Sources claim Doha Bank cut staff in the UAE

Doha Bank has cut about 10 jobs in the United Arab Emirates and plans to put some staff in the region on unpaid leave, sources said, as it copes with the fallout from Qatar's rift with its Arab neighbours.

Qatar's fifth-biggest lender will decide by the end of the year whether to make those going on long-term leave redundant if conditions have not improved, said two of the sources familiar with the matter.

One source said about 100 staff could be put on leave, while another said it might be as high as 200, although the sources said the final number might be different. The sources declined to be named as the matter is not yet public.

In a statement to Reuters news agency, Doha Bank said the information was incorrect, but declined to elaborate. The bank employs 1,571 staff, according to its profile on Linkedin.

11 September 2017

4:27pm - UAE sheikh seeks to sell Qatar tower

A company owned by a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family is seeking to sell Dolphin Tower in Doha, the Qatari headquarters of natural gas supplier Dolphin Energy, sources told Reuters news agency.

Al Ain Properties, owned through an investment vehicle by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Abu Dhabi Ruler's Representative in the Western Region of the emirate, has within the past two months appointed real estate firm DTZ Qatar to market the 25-storey building, two of the sources said.

Nobody was immediately available to comment from Al Ain Holding, the parent company of Al Ain Properties, or DTZ Qatar.

4:00pm - Qatar's emir visits US military base

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani visited Doha's Al Udeid air base - the largest US base in the Middle East on Monday.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Sunday that the the GCC crisis will only be solved through dialogue and that despite challenges and allegations, Qatar is willing to talk.

He also emphasised that the three-month blockade on Qatar is violating its civil, social and economic rights. "The international community must show responsibility as people are paying the price for these political rifts," Abdulrahman Al Thani said.

Denying all allegations against Qatar, Al Thani said the four blockading countries have tried to hide facts and fabricated allegations of Qatar supporting terrorism. He said the only motivation behind the siege was not fighting terrorism but rather interfere in the country's foreign policy and undermine its sovereignty.

7:00am - Saudi Arabia 'arrests' prominent cleric

A prominent Saudi religious leader, Sheikh Salman al-Audah, has been arrested, according to social media postings on Sunday, but not confirmed by Saudi officials.

In one of his last Twitter posts, he welcomed a report on Friday suggesting that a three-month-old row between Qatar and four Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia may be resolved.

"May God harmonise between their hearts for the good of their people," al-Audah said on Twitter after a report of a telephone call between Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss ways to resolve the rift which began in June.

Al-Audah, an influential cleric who was imprisoned from 1994-99 for agitating for political change and has 14 million followers on Twitter, appears to have been detained over the weekend, the posting suggested.

The New York Times on Sunday debunked information spread by official Saudi media outlets a day earlier claiming Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) expressed support for Qatar in the Gulf crisis .

Marwan Kabalan, director of policy analysis at Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, said by spreading false news Saudi Arabia may be diverting attention from a story in the US media about the Saudi embassy's possible links to the September 11, 2001 attacks.

2:08pm - Russia's Lavrov urges direct talks

Arab countries involved in a diplomatic dispute with Qatar should enter into direct talks with Doha to solve the crisis, Russia's foreign minister said on a trip to Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Speaking through an interpreter at a news conference, Sergei Lavrov also called for the unity of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told the news conference that Qatar needed to show seriousness in finding a solution to the crisis.

10:55am - Russian foreign minister in Saudi Arabia

Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, is in Saudi Arabia meeting with his Saudi counterpart, Adel al-Jubeir and other officials.

Lavrov is also expected to visit Jordan

9 September 2017

10pm - Qatar's PM discusses Gulf crisis with Japanese FM

The prime minister of Qatar, Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, has held a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in the Qatari capital of Doha.

The two leaders discussed the developments in the region, including the ongoing Gulf diplomatic crisis between Qatar and a group of four Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

Another issue on the agenda was was of boosting ties between Qatar and Japan.

Saudi Arabia's state news agency says that plans to hold talks with Qatar have been suspended, shortly after the emergence of reports that the Qatari emir and the Saudi crown prince spoke over phone to discuss a major diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.

The call on Friday between by the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - reported by state media from both countries - is believed to be the first official contact between Doha and Riyadh since the beginning of the crisis more than three months ago.

However, there seems to be a dispute over protocol - apparently, over how Qatar News Agency (QNA) did not menton in its report that it was Doha that had initiated the call.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has held a phone conversation with US President Donald Trump to discuss the latest developments in the Gulf crisis, in the wake of a visit by Kuwait's emir to the White House.

Kuwait has been acting a mediator in the dispute, now in its fourth month.

During Thursday's phone call, the emir of Qatar welcomed Trump's position on the need to resolve this crisis through dialogue to ensure the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to Qatar's state media. He also expressed Doha's position on resolving "differences through constructive dialogue that does not affect the sovereignty of states", Qatar News Agency reported.

A statement published by the White House on Friday said that Trump "underscored the importance of all countries following through on commitments from the Riyadh Summit to maintain unity while defeating terrorism, cutting off funding for terrorist groups, and combatting extremist ideology".

The emir of Kuwait says the threat of war between Qatar and Arab nations blockading it for the past three months has been neutralised.

Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah, the main mediator in the Gulf dispute, spoke in Washington, DC on Thursday at a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump.

While both sides in the dispute have ruled out the use of armed force, some ordinary Qataris say they worry about the possibility of military action, given the ferocity of the criticism their country has received from media in the four Arab states.

"What is important is that we have stopped any military action," Sheikh Sabah said.

US President Donald Trump has offered to mediate in the three-month diplomatic dispute between Qatar and its neighbours, saying "we will be most successful [against terrorism] with a united" Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Speaking at a joint news conference with Kuwait's emir in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Trump said he supported Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah's mediation efforts but if that did not manage to resolve the Gulf crisis, he would be "willing to be a mediator".

"We call on our GCC and Egyptian allies to focus on our commitments at that Saudi Arabia summit to continue our joint efforts to drive out and defeat terrorists.

"Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt are all essential US partners in this effort. We have great relationships with all of them right now, maybe better than we've ever had.

"We will be most successful with a united GCC."

4:20pm - Call for ban on UK MP over anti-Qatar conference

Concerns are being raised with the UK's Foreign Affairs Committee over the participation of a British member of parliament at an anti-Qatar conference.

Daniel Kawczynski is expected to take part in the event in London next week, which is being sponsored by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In a letter to the committee, the non-governmental organisation, 'The London Centre for Public Affairs', has called for Kawczynski to be banned from any nominations to the foreign policy body.

8:00am - Kuwaiti emir to hold talks with President Trump

The emir of Kuwait is flying to the US to hold talks with President Donald Trump on the three-month-old diplomatic crisis in the Arabian Gulf.

Kuwait has been acting as the mediator following a political and economic blockade on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt.

6 September 2017

10:50pm - Qatar waives visa requirement for Moroccans

Morocco has been added to a list of countries whose citizens no longer need visas to enter Qatar, official Moroccan media said.

Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, who met a Moroccan delegation in Doha on Tuesday, announced that his country "had removed the obligation for Moroccan citizens to obtain a visa", Morocco's official MAP news agency said.

In early August, Qatar introduced a visa-free entry programme for 80 nationalities to stimulate air transport and tourism.

Qatar's central bank said it sold 1 billion Qatari riyals ($274.7 million) worth of treasury bills in a monthly auction on Wednesday, with yields higher than in its previous offer.

The bank sold 650 million Qatari riyals of three-month notes with a yield of 2.25 percent, higher than the 2.14 percent yield at which the bank sold 750 million riyals one month ago in a sign that the blockade against Qatar continues to exert pressure on liquidity in the Qatari money market.

It sold 350 million Qatari riyals worth of treasury bills with a six-month maturity and a yield of 2.49 percent, it said on its website.

5 September 2017

9:45pm - Qatar taps Pakistan market amid Gulf blockade

A Qatari shipping company is set to launch what it calls the fastest direct service between Doha and the Pakistani port city of Karachi this week, as the Gulf state seeks to establish new trade routes amid a land, air and sea blockade from its Arab neighbours.

Maritime conglomerate Milaha is overseeing the venture, with the first vessel due to arrive at the newly inaugurated Hamad Port outside the Qatari capital on September 11 following a transit time of four days - compared to a normally six-to-seven-day journey.

"We have been vigorously ramping up our operations between Qatar and key Asian markets in response to growing demand from traders, importers, and exporters on both sides," said Abdulrahman Essa Al-Mannai, Milaha president and chief executive officer.

9:00pm - 'So be it' if rift with Qatar continues for years: Saudi FM

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir told reporters in London that if the rift with Qatar continued for two years then "so be it".

He also lashed out at Iran, which has supported Qatar in the ongoing crisis, saying Tehran's talk of a possible rapprochement with the kingdom was "laughable".

"If Iran wants to have good relations with Saudi Arabia, it has to change its policies. It has to respect international law. At this time, we do not see... that they're serious about wanting to be a good neighbour," said Jubeir.

3:00pm - France appoints envoy to mediate

France's foreign ministry said that it picked its former ambassador to Saudi Arabia as a special envoy to see how Paris could support mediation efforts in the rift between Qatar and its neighbours.

France, which has close ties with Egypt and the United Arab Emirates while also being a major arms supplier to Qatar and a key ally of Saudi Arabia, has been relatively discreet on the crisis, largely sticking to calls for calm.

"I confirm that Bertrand Besancenot, diplomatic advisor to the government, will soon go to the region to evaluate the situation and the best ways to support the mediation and appease tensions between Qatar and its neighbours," Foreign ministry spokeswoman Agnes Romatet-Espagne told reporters in a daily briefing.

12:00pm - Qatar unveils new trading port

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has opened the new Hamad Port ahead of schedule as part of a wider plan to achieve food security and economic diversification in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.

The inaguration of the new port means larger container ships can go directly to Doha rather than docking in the United Arab Emirates, where cargo was transferred to smaller vessels.

The UAE is one of the countries that have imposed a land, air and sea blockade on Qatar.

The port, which is playing a vital role in offsetting the impact of the blockade imposed on Qatar since June 5, will provide Qatar with complete independence in its import and export of goods.

4 September 2017

7:45pm - Qatar launches direct shipping lines

Qatar Ports Management Company, Mwani, has expanded its maritime network by launching several direct shipping lines between Hamad Port and a number of ports in the region.

The new routes connect Qatar to Sohar and Salalah ports in Oman, Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait, Karachi port in Pakistan, Izmir port in Turkey and Mundra and Nava Shiva ports in India.

3 September 2017

11:15pm - Despite GCC crisis, Gulf tourists flock to rural Turkey

The dispute seems to have had little effect on the eastern Black Sea's now-booming tourism industry. In July, eight cities in Saudi Arabia launched direct flights to Trabzon, the regional hub, to meet demand from Saudi tourists. The UAE and Kuwait also offer direct flights, bypassing the need for tourists to travel through airports in Istanbul.

In the first five months of this year, more than 22,000 Arab tourists visited Uzungol, a village with a permanent residential population of fewer than 2,000 people, according to the Trabzon Chamber of Commerce. More than 70 hotels and apartments catering to a range of budgets have sprung up in the village in less than a decade.

2 September 2017

10:00pm – 'Ball in Qatar's court', says Saudi prince

Qatar could end a political standoff with a Saudi-led group of nations if it stops interfering in the internal affairs of neighbouring countries, Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal says.

"The ball is in Qatar's court and they have to perform on that," the former head of Saudi Arabia's intelligence agency said in an interview with Bloomberg TV from the Ambrosetti Forum in Cernobbio, Italy on Friday.

1 September 2017

05:40pm - Qatari FM meets Belgian counterpart in Brussels

The foreign ministers of Qatar and Belgium have held talks in the Belgian capital of Brussels about the fight against armed groups and the Gulf's diplomatic crisis.

"We are very open to help ... organise a possible dialogue in the region," Didier Reynders, Belgian foreign minister, said.

For his part, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar's foreign minister, said that despite Kuwait's mediation efforts, blockading nations have not responded "since the crisis started 90 days ago.

"There is nothing being provided, neither to Washington nor to Kuwait until now to show any legitimate grievances for all the measures they have taken."

31 August 2017

09:05pm - Kuwaiti emir to meet Trump as Gulf crisis continues

The emir of Kuwait will hold talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC, next week, according to the Kuwaiti state media, as a three-month-old diplomatic crisis splits the Gulf.

"They are claiming that Qatar is interfering in their internal politics, there is no anything against Qatar. Qatar never accepts to interfere to any country's politics, and doesn't accept others to interfere in our politics," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdelrahman Al Thani after a meeting with members of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.

6:50pm - Qatari FM: We don't accept interference in our politics

Qatar's foreign minister has called on the Gulf countries that have cut ties with it to stop attempting to influence his country's foreign policy.

"They are claiming that Qatar is interfering in their internal politics, there is no anything against Qatar. Qatar never accepts to interfere to any country's politics, and doesn't accept others to interfere in our politics," said Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdelrahman Al Thani after a meeting with members of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium

"While the blockading countries who are accusing Qatar for this, they are interfering in our internal affairs by the incitement they are carrying out to our people."

10:00am - 'No proof' of claims against Qatar

Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said in an interview with Indian CNN-News18 on Wednesday that Qatar shows zero tolerance towards terrorism, its sympathisers, financers and supporters, stressing that the countries of the siege failed to provide evidence to prove the validity of their accusations against Qatar.

Al Thani also said Qatar has been the most developed country in the Gulf region for 20 years. It is home to many foreign universities, the religious landscape is varied and everyone practices his religion freely. "Qatar has evolved in its own way and the siege we have been facing is an incentive for us to move forward towards development policy".

US President Donald Trump has held a phone conversation with Saudi King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and called for a diplomatic resolution to the Gulf crisis, the White House said in a statement.

"The president urged that all parties to the Qatar dispute find a diplomatic resolution that follows through on their commitments made at the Riyadh summit, to maintain unity while fighting terrorism," the statement said.

30 August 2017

6:05pm - IMF says Qatar's response to sanctions is effective

Qatar acted effectively in protecting its economy against sanctions imposed by other Arab countries, an International Monetary Fund official said on Wednesday, after a week-long visit to Doha.

"The impact on banks' balance sheets was mitigated by liquidity injections by the Qatar central bank and increased public sector deposits," Mohammed El Qorchi said in a statement.

"These reactions reflected effective coordination and collaboration among key government agencies," he said, adding that authorities acted quickly to reroute trade and establish new sources of food supply.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has expressed Moscow's support for Kuwait's mediation efforts to defuse a three-month long diplomatic crisis in the Gulf.

"We welcome all initiatives to resolve the Gulf crisis, and we support the Kuwaiti efforts in that direction," Lavrov said during a joint press conference with his Qatari counterpart.

Ibrahim Fraihat, a Qatar-based analyst, said Russia was backing the Kuwaiti initiative in a bid to fill a regional vacuum created by the United States' lack of clear policy in helping to end the dispute.

"Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that his government has called for dialogue with the blockading countries on at least 12 different occasions, whereas the blockading countries are yet to respond to a single request, the most important one coming from the emir of Kuwait, who is trying to mediate in the crisis.

"Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have yet to respond either positively or negatively to that request. Sheikh Mohammed said this indicated the lack of cooperation and their insistence to not find a solution to the crisis, and in fact make it drag on as long as possible."

The Asia Pacific Forum (APF), a coalition of 24 national human rights institutions from across the region, has expressed its solidarity with Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), following a complaint submitted in Geneva.

Saudi Arabia and its allies, which have cut ties with Qatar and imposed a land, sea and air embargo against it, filed the complaint earlier in August in a bid to have the committee stripped of its "A" rating in the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) list. GANHRI has rejected the request.

The APF congratulated the NHRC for carrying out its work in a professional matter throughout the crisis and stressed that it is always ready to support it.

In its statement, the APF also expressed concern regarding the damages caused by the blockade to thousands of people who have mixed families in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE.

12:15pm - Qatar central bank says banking sector is strong

Qatari banks are capable of withstanding the pressure of sanctions imposed by other Arab states, the governor of Qatar's central bank has said after Fitch Ratings lowered the Gulf state's credit rating.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud Al Thani, in a statement on Tuesday, said routine stress tests show the banking sector is strong. Qatari banks are highly solvent, profitable and liquid, he said.

The central bank has taken extra measures in response to the sanctions, and believes Fitch Ratings will change its decision in the very near future, the statement added.

Fitch cut the country's credit rating by one notch to AA-minus with a negative outlook on Monday.

28 August 2017

7:30pm - Qatar may cut capital spending because of sanctions - Fitch

Qatar may be forced to reduce its capital spending on economic projects and infrastructure if damage to its economy from sanctions intensifies, Fitch Ratings has said as it cut the country's credit rating by one notch to AA-minus with a negative outlook.

Fitch noted that even before the sanctions, Qatar had shrunk its capital spending plans for 2014-2024 to $130 billion from $180 billion in response to low oil and gas prices.

"The government has prepared scenarios for further cuts to capital spending in case oil prices fall again or in case pressures from the embargo intensify," it said.

Fitch predicted the Qatari government's net foreign assets would fall to 146 percent of gross domestic product this year from 185 percent last year, as the government moves money into local banks to offset outflows due to the sanctions.

3:30pm - Russia's FM visiting Gulf Arab states over Qatar crisis

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in Kuwait at the start of a three-nation tour of Gulf Arab states over the ongoing Qatar diplomatic crisis, where he will also visit Qatar and the UAE.

Lavrov's visit to Kuwait City marks the first high-level diplomatic visit by Russia over the crisis.

27 August 2017

9:20pm - UN chief visits Kuwait amid GCC crisis

Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, has visited Kuwait as part of a tour of the Middle East.

In a meeting with Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, the UN boss expressed his gratitude to Kuwait for playing the mediator role in the Gulf diplomatic crisis.

He said the UN fully supported its position and also praised the country's leadership for its humanitarian work.

3:15pm - Hamad Port to officially open in September

The Ministry of Transport and Communication announced that Hamad Port will be officially inaugurated in the first week of September.

In a statement, the ministry said that Hamad Port will be the largest port in the Middle East and will span an area of 28.5 square kilometres.

Qatar's National Human Rights Commission issued a report showing that 2,400 Muslims in the country applied for permits to attend Hajj in Mecca but have been prevented from going because Saudi authorities failed to acknowledge Doha's formal request for their attendance.

"With the time for performing the fifth pillar of Islam approaching, these measures remained in a clear violation to the right of citizens of the State of Qatar and its Muslim residents who want to perform Al Hajj," Qatar News Agency quoted the NHRC report as saying.

The pair discussed recent developments and embraced new paths to enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.

2:30am - No Hajj for Qataris this year amid Saudi row

For Muslim pilgrims in Qatar who hoped to perform one of the pillars of Islam, the annual Hajj that began this week is out of reach. This is because Saudi Arabia - which overseas and manages Islam's two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina - has made it impossible for them to go.

The Qatari Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, which regulates and organises the annual Hajj for Qatari citizens and residents, announced it hasn't received responses from its Saudi counterpart on travel logistics or security guarantees.

25 August 2017

6:00pm - Grand Mosque imam condemns Muslim discord ahead of Hajj

The imam of Mecca's Grand Mosque denounced those who "cause conflict among Muslims" in his last Friday sermon before the annual Hajj pilgrimage as rifts widen among Gulf neighbours.

"Anyone who causes conflict and discord among Muslims ignores the blessing of harmony, imitates those who lived in ignorance [before Islam], harms his people and cheats his nation," Sheikh Saleh Mohammed al-Taleb told the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who have flocked to Mecca from around the world to perform the Hajj next week.

4:30pm - UAE foreign minister accuses Qatar of 'adolescent behaviour'

Qatar's decision to return its ambassador to Iran "embarrasses Doha and reveals its political tactics", United Arab Emirates foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said. He questioned the reasoning behind Doha's move to restore diplomatic ties with Tehran.

Qatar's "soverign decision should not be shy or confused, but its arrogance and adolescent behaviour makes it so", Gargash tweeted. "It's justification is not convincing."

2:55pm - Turkey arrests Qatar news agency hacking suspects

Five suspected computer hackers have been arrested in Turkey in connection with an attack on the state Qatar News Agency (QNA) in April.

QNA website was hacked and inflammatory comments attributed to Qatar's Emir were broadcast on news channels in the UAE and Saudi Arabia - despite the Qatari government repeatedly rejecting the fake reports. The hacking preceded the blockade imposed on Qatar by Saudi, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.

"Our friends in Turkey answered us a short time ago. Five people were arrested and they are being investigated. The prosecutors in Qatar are working with the Turkish authorities to follow this case," said Ali al-Marri, Qatar's general prosecutor.

Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, discussed the "close relationship" between Qatar and the US during a visit to Doha on Monday, according to the state department.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that "the parties discussed the importance of the peace effort to countering terrorists and extremists".

Kushner is leading a delegation to the Middle East on behalf of Trump. He also with other Gulf leaders.

24 August 2017

11pm - Qatar links tit-for-tat Chad embassy closure to Gulf crisis

Qatar ordered the embassy of Chad be closed and gave its diplomats 72 hours to leave, the Qatari foreign ministry said on Thursday, accusing the African country of joining a "campaign of blackmail" with its decision to shutter the Qatari embassy.

Chad said on Wednesday it was giving Qatari diplomats 10 days to leave the country.

The director of the Qatari foreign ministry's media department said the timing of the Chadian decision shows that it "comes within the campaign of political blackmail against the State of Qatar with the intention of joining the siege countries for very well-known reasons".

6:00pm - Iran welcomes return of diplomatic ties with Qatar

Iran has welcomed Qatar's decision to return its ambassador to Tehran as a "positive and logical" step.

"Their ambassador had been recalled to Doha for certain consultations, and his return to Tehran is considered a logical and positive move and decision," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi, according to the state-run IRNA news.

Qatar said on Wednesday its ambassador to Iran, who was withdrawn in January last year, would return to Iran.

"Qatar announced that its ambassador to Tehran will return to resume his diplomatic duties," the Qatari foreign ministry's information office said in a statement on its website, adding that Doha wanted to strengthen ties with the Islamic republic.

23 August 2017

10:55pm - European monitor calls for pressure on Saudi Arabia over Hajj

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has urged Jan Figel, the European Union Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion outside the Union, to call on Saudi Arabia to lift the conditions it imposed for the arrival of pilgrims of Qatar to its territory to perform Hajj this year.

The Geneva-based Monitor, in a letter sent to Figel, called for an immediate intervention to end the crisis of pilgrims and to exert pressure for not using Hajj as a tool for political gain, and not to impose conditions on pilgrims.

8:40pm - UN chief, Qatar FM hold phone conversation

Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has held a telephone conversation with Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations.

The Qatari diplomat briefed Guterres on the latest developments in the Gulf crisis and the measures taken by the Saudi-led group of countries against Doha.

The two leaders also discussed boosting cooperation in other areas.

22 August 2017

11:45pm - Qatar fearful over treatment of Hajj pilgrims in Saudi

Qatar said it is worried Hajj pilgrims from the emirate face being badly treated if they travel to Saudi Arabia as the row over arrangements for the religious event intensified.

The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs said that considering the ongoing Gulf diplomatic impasse, it was concerned about the safety of pilgrims travelling from Doha in the next few days.

"Given the current situation, it (the ministry) remains concerned and fearful for Qatari pilgrims and a repeat of the harassment of Qatari citizens in June," read the statement.

Early in June, local media reports claimed Qataris were stopped from entering the Grand Mosque in Mecca.

The Hajj to Mecca, the most revered site in Islam, is a pilgrimage that Muslims must perform at least once in their lifetimes if they are able to do so.

Dubai TV has aired a false report claiming anti-government demonstrations took place in Doha, Qatar, and alleged that troops - including soldiers from Turkey - sprayed tear gas at protesters.

Qatar's government press office on Tuesday dismissed the report as "fake news" in a statement sent to Al Jazeera, a day after the broadcast which has now been circulated online.

5:30am - Senegal restores its ambassador to Qatar

Senegal announced on Tuesday that it has reappointed its ambassador to Qatar who had been recalled on June 6 amid the Gulf crisis.

"Senegal has decided to send its ambassador to Doha back to Qatar," tweeted Ahmed bin Saeed Al Rumaihi, Director of the Information Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Senegal.

Qatar's official news agency QNA reported that the decision was made after a phone call between Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Senegal's President Macky Sall.

The two leaders also discussed boosting relations in various fields and the recent developments in the Middle East, particularly, the Gulf crisis.

21 August 2017

11:15pm - Qatar slams Saudi Arabia's hajj flight restrictions

A strongly worded statement from Doha's foreign ministry said it was surprised that Riyadh had decided to restrict the transport of Hajj pilgrims from Qatar only through Saudi Arabian Airlines. The hajj to Mecca, the most revered site in Islam, is a pilgrimage that Muslims must perform at least once.

"Limiting the transfer of Qatari pilgrims to Saudi Arabian Airlines only is unprecedented, illogical, surprising and contravenes the teachings of Islam," said the statement from the ministry's information office director, Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Rumaihi.

Earlier, Doha had denied a claim from Saudi Arabian Airlines accusing Qatari authorities of refusing to allow one of its flights to land at Hamad International Airport on Sunday.

An official source from Qatar's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has denied claims made by media outlets in the blockading nations that Qatar refused to allow Saudi Airlines to fly Qatari Hajj pilgrims.

The CAA received a request from Saudi Airlines in which they asked to carry Qatari pilgrims, and advised them to coordinate this request with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs through the Qatari Hajj Delegation, reported the Qatar News Agency.

The CAA stated their response was in accordance with procedures followed in the past.

20 August 2017

7:35pm - Saudi carrier claims Qatar has not yet approved Hajj flights

Saudi Arabia says its aircraft have not been given permission to land in Doha to pick up Qatari pilgrims for the annual Hajj, news agencies reported. A Qatari government spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Along with reopening its land border with Qatar, Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday that King Salman had ordered the dispatch of a Saudi Arabia Airlines plane to fly Qatari pilgrims to Jeddah at his own expense so that they could go on to Mecca, Islam's holiest city.

But the first flight has not been able to take off from Saudi Arabia because it had not yet received landing permission in Doha, said Saleh al-Jasser, the general director of the airline, according to Saudi state news agency SPA.

The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) has rejected a request by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, and Egypt to get Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) downgraded, according to NHRC chairman Ali bin Samikh al-Marri.

Marri thanked GANHRI for supporting the work of the NHRC and urged civil society groups in the four countries to work with the committee to address the worsening humanitarian conditions imposed on GCC citizens due to the measures against Qatar.

Earlier in August, the four countries, which have cut ties with Qatar and imposed a land, sea and air embargo against it, had submitted a complaint against NHRC to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in a bid to have the committee removed from the "A" rating of the GANHRI list.

On Monday, several international human rights groups sent a letter to the UNHCR, asking them to reject the four countries' move.

"As human rights organisations, we call upon your esteemed office to reject this complaint, we also hope that you will call on the four countries, through their permanent representatives at the UN headquarters in Geneva, to stop harassment on human rights defenders, and work to upgrade their national bodies, so as to work efficiently to defend the human and his rights, in accordance with international standards in this regard, and to unite to promote human rights in the region especially and in the world in general," said the letter.

Saudis have been told to expose the names and identities of anyone showing sympathy with Qatar on Twitter, with a senior Saudi official vowing to "follow" every name reported via the social media site.

Anwar Gargash, the UAE's state minister for foreign affairs, was one of the first to express support for the blacklist, tweeting: "Saud al-Qahtani is an important voice ... and his tweet on the 'blacklist' is extremely important."

The UAE has banned all expression of sympathy with Qatar, making it a criminal offence punishable with up to 15 years in prison.

"The four siege countries have not responded up to now," said Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

"Rather, we have seen continuing escalation and attempt to market the accusation that Qatar supports terrorism without providing any evidence, until they reached a stage of despair to buy a few seconds in the Western channels to publish their advertisements. Unfortunately, this is their constant behaviour since the beginning of the crisis."

11:30am - Qatar balks at calls to end military ties to Turkey

Qatar's ambassador to Ankara said calls by a Saudi-led block for Doha to cut defence ties with Turkey is an "obvious intervention of internal affairs".

"This is against all international law and norms," said Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi in a written statement on Saturday about the demand to close a Turkish base in the country.

"The closure of this base and demanding that our defence relations with Turkey be interrupted would be an obvious intervention of our internal affairs, infringement of our sovereignty rights, and the assumption of tutelage over us."

Qatar has filed a complaint before the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), against what it calls attempts to "terrorise" travellers who are flying on its national flag carrier.

In a letter sent to the Montreal-based United Nations agency on Saturday, Doha said the Saudi-led group that has imposed a blockade on Qatar has violated international law by broadcasting a news report showing the shooting down of a Qatar Airways passenger aircraft.

The United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States, Yousef al-Otaiba, berated Saudi Arabia's leadership, a series of emails leaked by a computer hacking group "Global Leaks" reveal.

In a 2008 email chain with his wife Abeer Shoukry, published by the Middle East Eye news website on Friday, Otaiba described the kingdom's leaders as "f****ing coo coo".

The correspondence also makes a case for Mohammed bin Salman over his cousin and former crown prince, Mohammed bin Nayef.

18 August 2017

6:15pm - Qatar concerned about safety of citizens in Saudi Arabia during Hajj

Qatar expressed concern about the safety of its citizens in Saudi Arabia following the reopening of the countries' border enabling Qataris to attend the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.

"The level of tension between the two nations, the language and the tone of the Saudi media spreading hatred against Qatari people represents a great concern for us," Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said during a visit to Norway.

"Those people crossing the border right now are under the responsibility of the Saudi authorities for their security and safety," Sheikh Mohammed said, adding that "more than 100" citizens had crossed since Thursday.

3:00pm - Preparations for 2022 World Cup in Qatar 'unaffected by blockade'

The head of the committee responsible for the 2022 football World Cup in Qatar says the Gulf crisis has had little impact on preparations.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Hassan Al Thawadi said various construction projects, including eight stadiums and a $35bn metro and rail system, are "on schedule".

"No doubt that the blockade has caused an inconvenience," Thawadi said, noting that Qatar could not work with some GCC companies that were contracted as suppliers or service providers. "We have very quickly moved onto Plan B, found alternative sources of supply - alternative routes of supply as well."

12:30pm - Qatar enlists US firm to combat terror financing

Qatar's anti-money laundering agency has enlisted an advisory firm run by former US treasury department officials to boost the country's fight against "terrorism financing".

Qatar's National Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Committee (NALMC) is partnering with Washington based Financial Integrity Network (FIN), headed by Daniel Glaser, who served as the Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes from 2011-2017.

Sheikh Fahad Faisal Al Thani, the chairman of NAMLC, said on Thursday that Qatar was "strongly committed to combating illicit financing activities" and that the partnership with FIN will "ensure that Qatar builds on its successes to date in preventing and disrupting these illegal activities".

Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Saudi Arabia is yet to clarify details of how it will receive Qatari pilgrims and steps it will take to assure their safety.

Speaking in Stockholm on Thursday, Sheikh Mohammed welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to reopen the two countries' border to Qatari pilgrims as a positive step towards ending the siege on Doha.

The Qatari government will communicate with Saudi Arabia on the safety of the Qatari Hajj mission, he said, and urged Saudi Arabia not to politicize the Hajj pilgrimage.

"We hope that these steps will continue, as well as not involving human matters in the political dispute re-uniting the mixed families," he added.

17 August 2017

11:05pm - Qatari pilgrims arrive in Saudi Arabia

Qatari pilgrims began arriving in Saudi Arabia on Thursday, Saudi media reported, after Riyadh said it was opening up its border and airports for those attending the annual hajj pilgrimage despite a diplomatic rift that cut travel ties between the two neighbours.

Doha welcomed the Saudi decision to open the frontier and provide flights for Qatari pilgrims, but regarded the move as politically motivated, Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said.

Qatar welcomed Saudi Arabia's decision to reopen the two countries' border to Qatari pilgrims, while lashing out at Riyadh's "politicisation" of religious freedoms.

"Regardless of the manner in which Qataris were banned from the pilgrimage, which was politicised, and the manner in which they were again permitted to make the pilgrimage, which was also politicised ... the government of Qatar welcomes the decision and will respond positively," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said at press conference on Thursday with his Swedish counterpart in Stockholm.

Saudi Arabia news sites have reported that King Salman has ordered measures to allow Qatari pilgrims in to perform Hajj in Mecca

The King has reportedly ordered that Saudi aircraft be sent to Doha to accommodate Qatari pilgrims at his own expense, in addition to opening up the land border

16 August 2017

2:30pm - Qatar sovereign fund not planning asset sales, CEO says

The Qatar Investment Authority does not plan to liquidate its assets around the world and will soon announce major new international investments, the sovereign wealth fund's chief executive told local media on Wednesday.

"We have just completed a tour of several countries around the world and you will hear about significant investments soon," Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohamed bin Saud Al-Thani was quoted as saying by the Lusail newspaper. He did not give details of the new investments.

9:30am - Qatar's economy remains strong, say experts

Qatar's economy is strong enough to weather the GCC crisis, according to experts interviewed by the AFP news agency.

"In the medium- to long-term, perhaps people who live here will feel" the effects, but for the time being, "we haven't felt any big difference", said Mohamed Ammar, who heads the Qatari Businessmen Association.

Analysts have faith in the capacity of Qatar, holder of the world's third-largest natural gas reserves after giants Russia and Iran, to withstand a long crisis.

"Qatar is the most resilient country in the Middle East by far," said Andreas Krieg, a strategic risk analyst and assistant professor at King's College London university.

15 August 2017

8:15pm - Qatar FM: Lot of time needed to rebuild trust in Gulf

Qatar's foreign minister said on Tuesday it will take a "lot of time" to rebuild any trust between the Gulf Cooperation Council members because of the region's continuing diplomatic crisis.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said: "Qatar has always been one of the founders of the GCC organisation and we still consider that this has a great importance for all of us in the region."

"This organisation has been built on a strategical security and been built on trust. Unfortunately, what happened lately with this crisis, this factor is missing now and needs a lot of time to rebuild the trust again. We hope that it's restored."

11:30am - UAE FM Gargash calls Qatar 'arrogant'

The United Arab Emirates' Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash has called Qatar "arrogant" after a Qatari official accused the blockading nations of carrying out a "smear campaign" against Doha.

"It is the country's arrogant position to accuse the United Arab Emirates' of leading the campaign against it and of opening fronts, including with Saudi Arabia, and at the same time to think that undermining the security of Bahrain and Egypt is a natural right. This is the logic of illogical," Gargash said on Twitter.

Gargash said Doha's reliance on outside intervention to resolve the conflict is "incorrect behavior" and only leads to prolonging the situation.

9am - Qatari envoy says three-month blockade has 'failed'

Qatar's special envoy on counter-terrorism Mutlaq Al Qahtani says the blockade by neighbouring countries has not succeeded after three months.

"If Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - the countries driving the confrontation, despite the appearance of a unified bloc - hoped to bring Qatar to its knees, they have failed. If they hoped to damage Qatar's reputation and improve their own, they have failed. If they hoped to enhance their relationship with the US at Qatar's expense, again, they have failed," he wrote.

"Instead, the anti-Qatar smear campaign has put a spotlight on the shameful history and unsavory practices of the Saudis and Emiratis themselves. Saudi Arabia justifies the blockade by alleging that Qatari authorities support extremists and terrorist organisations. But the accusation only reminds observers that the Saudis have consistently failed to prevent the radicalisation of their citizens."

Several international human rights groups sent a letter to the UNHCR on Monday, asking them to reject a move by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, and Egypt to have the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar removed from the 'A' rating of the International Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions list.

"As human rights organisations, we call upon your esteemed office to reject this complaint, we also hope that you will call on the four countries, through their permanent representatives at the UN headquarters in Geneva, to stop harassment on human rights defenders, and work to upgrade their national bodies, so as to work efficiently to defend the human and his rights, in accordance with international standards in this regard, and to unite to promote human rights in the region especially and in the world in general," said the letter.

The groups that signed the letter included: Free Voice Organization for the Defense of Human Rights - Paris; Swiss Organization for the Protection of Human Rights - Geneva; International Council for Justice, Equality and Peace - COJEP international - France; Association of Torture Victims in Tunisia - Geneva; Solidarity for Human Rights - Geneva; International Observatory for Societies and Sustainable Development - Tunis; International Coalition for Human Rights and Development - Geneva; and Libya Watch - London.

5:15pm - Report: Saudi crown prince wants out of Yemen war

The UK-based Middle East Eye has reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told two former US officials that he "wants out" of the war in Yemen.

In a leaked email obtained by the news website, the crown prince also known as MBS, reportedly spoke to Martin Indyk, the former US ambassador to Israel, and Stephen Hadley, the national security advisor during the administration of George W Bush, about his intentions.

The details of the discussion were contained in an email between Indyk and Yousef Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates' ambasador to Washington. In the email exchange, Indyk was also quoted as writing thatMBS "is OK with the US engaging Iran as long as it is co-ordinated in advance and the objectives are clear."

13 August 2017

4:45pm - Qatar opens new sea route with Karachi

Qatar's state news agency is reporting that the country has launched a new route between Hamad Port and Pakistan's Port of Karachi on Sunday.

Qatar said the new route will bloost trade between the two countries, and offer "fast and secure" corridor for importers and exporters, with transit time of six days from Qatar to Karachi and eight days from Pakistan.

3:00pm - Four states behind blockade gave US assurances its firms would remain unaffected.

Reuters is reporting that the four Arab states responsible for a blockade on goods entering Qatar gave the US assurances that its firms would not be affected if they continued to do business with Doha.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, and Egypt sent US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson a letter in July reassuring him that US companies would not be affected by the boycott, the report says, citing "sources with knowledge of the letter".

In an interview with the Qatari daily, al-Raya, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri, the head of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), demanded that Saudi Arabia lift all land and air restrictions on Qatar-based pilgrims traveling to Mecca for the Hajj pilgrimage.

The NHRC has also expressed concerns about the fate of workers for Qatari-owned businesses in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE, after their employers were expelled.

The group says hundreds of people are trapped in the countries and are living in difficult conditions.

Abdulla Anas, a former friend of the late al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, told the Middle East Eye on Friday that he was "bewildered" by Saudi Arabia's claim that Qatar supported terrorism by allowing the Taliban to open an office in Doha.

Anas said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) tried to host the Taliban before the armed group set up an office in Qatar..

Anas, an Algerian who now lives in London, told Middle East Eye that he made a series of visits to Saudi Arabia between 2006 and 2008 in an effort to bring warring factions in Afghanistan to the negotiating table.

05:30pm - Qatar to Saudi Arabia: Protect rights of Qatari pilgrims

Ali Bin Samikh Al Marri of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee has called on Saudi Arabia to make sure its citizens can perform the Hajj without any problems.

Al Marri said Saudi Arabia should "remove all obstacles and iron out all difficulties", calling for the establishment of direct flights from Doha to Jeddah, as well as opening of an inland entry port for low-income pilgrims, who cannot afford to travel to Saudi Arabia by air.

"If those obstacles are not removed, then the Saudi Authorities are proving that are not willing to enable pilgrims from Qatar to perform the Hajj rituals this year."

The Swiss Organization for the Protection of Human Rights says Saudi authorities plan to impose constraints on Qatari citizens attempting to travel to the kingdom to perform the Hajj pilgrimage.

"Saudi Arabia, by taking such arbitrary measures, which are not based on any moral or legal basis, prevents innocent people who have no relation with all these political differences from performing their religion rituals, which is in violation of international law," the group said in a statement on Saturday.

1pm - Former liaison between Gulf states and the Taliban: Saudi Arabia keen on Taliban office

A former Afghan mujahideen fighter says Saudi Arabia was interested in hosting a Taliban office in the country, the Middle East Eye reports.

Abdullah Anas says he made multiple visits to Saudi Arabia between 2006 and 2008 and met senior officials, including the-then head of intelligence, Prince Muqrin, to help establish a Taliban office.

He says the meetings were part of an effort to bring all factions in Afghanistan to the table for peace talks.

Anas is an Algerian who fought under Afghan mujahideen leader Ahmed Shah Massoud.

9 August 2017

6:00pm - Qatar waives visas for 80 nationalities

Qatar has announced a programme to allow visa-free entry for citizens of 80 countries, in order to encourage air transport and tourism.

Nationals from dozens of countries in Europe and elsewhere including India, Lebanon, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States only need present a valid passport to enter Qatar.

"The visa exemption scheme will make Qatar the most open country in the region," Hassan al-Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development officer at Qatar Tourism Authority said.

Nationals of 33 countries will be allowed to stay for 180 days and the other 47 for up to 30 days.

11:15pm - Qatar and UPU address disruption in postal service

Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Qatar's minister of transport and communications, met on Tuesday with Bishar Hussein, the director general of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

The meeting comes in response to the complaint submitted by Qatar to the UPU, concerning the violations of the constitution and conventions of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) by the blockading countries, which is the first of its kind in the world and a dangerous precedent for the UPU charters.

The officials discussed the violations of UPU regulations, particularly Article 4 of the Union's conventions, regarding the freedom of transit of postal and postal mail.

Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, the chairman of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) met in the capital Doha on Tuesday with Amjad Shammout, the head of the Arab Permanent Committee on Human Rights.

The meeting dealt with the repercussions of the blockade against Qatar on human rights, the humanitarian situation of the citizens of Qatar and its residents, according to Qatar's state news agency.

A senior MP of Turkey's governing party said that Turkish presence in Qatar creates "a balance in the region" as military forces of the two countries held military exercises.

"Turkey is protecting its own interests through the base in Qatar, rather than taking sides between the parties at odds. And Ankara's interests require stability in the region, therefore Turkey would be against an attack on Saudi Arabia as much as Qatar," Yasin Aktay said on Tuesday.

1:15pm - US envoys arrive in Gulf for talks on GCC crisis

Two US envoys have arrived in Kuwait at the start of a tour of the Gulf aimed at resolving the GCC crisis.

Kuwait News Agency reported late on Monday that retired US Marine General Anthony Zinni and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Timothy Lenderking met with Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled al-Jarallah.

The envoys, who will also meet with leaders in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt over the coming days, reiterated US support for Kuwait during the mediation process.

The National Committee for Human Rights in Qatar has said in a statement on Monday that it considers Israel's decision to close down the Al Jazeera office "a dangerous precedent illustrating the Israeli occupier's alignment with actions taken by the countries blockading Qatar, showing their utter disregard for calls by the international community that they respect the right to freedom of expression and opinion and the right to information".

"The National Committee for Human Rights in the State of Qatar affirms that it will work with its partner organisations at the International Conference for Freedom of Expression towards international mobilisation to limit such violations by the Israeli occupier and the countries blockading [Qatar] that have affected freedom of expression, and to implement the recommendations from the abovementioned conference."

7:20pm - StanChart CEO: Gulf rift puts Dubai finance hub at risk

The boss of Standard Chartered has warned that Dubai risks damaging its status as a financial centre as a result of the trade boycott of Qatar by a Saudi-led bloc, which includes the United Arab Emirates.

Standard Chartered is a major lender across the Middle East and CEO Bill Winters said it could become increasingly difficult for Dubai to act as a comprehensive regional hub for international companies' Gulf operations if the tension in the region continued.

"There is a lot of benefit we get from having a Dubai hub, we are looking to see what the effect of this will be," he told Reuters. "There is a risk of turning away from the UAE."

7:15pm - Qatar shipper Milaha plans base in Oman

Qatar Navigation (Milaha), a top Doha-based shipping and logistics group, said it was moving its regional trans-shipment hub from Dubai to the Omani port of Sohar after a diplomatic crisis in the region disrupted Qatar's trade.

Milaha is setting up a warehousing and logistics operation at Sohar, on Oman's northern coast, and is exploring other opportunities to expand in that country, the company said on Monday.

The plan suggests Qatar is making long-term preparations to cope with sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

10:30am - Israel backs Saudi-led bloc's Al Jazeera stance

Israel has said that almost all countries in the region are determined that Al Jazeera "supports terrorism, supports religious radicalisation", echoing the rhetoric of the Arab nations that have shut down the broadcaster.

Communications Minister Ayoob Kara said on Sunday he plans to revoke the press credentials of Al Jazeera journalists, effectively preventing them from working in Israel.

12:30am - Qatar, Turkey wrap up 'Iron Shield' war games

Qatari and Turkish forces ended a joint military exercise in Doha.

Brigadier Hadi Rashid Al Shahwani, commander of the exercise, said that the "Iron Shield" included training of leaders to assess the situation, planning, control and coordination between the two forces.

The Qatar New Agency reported that the exercise was carried out to support counter-terrorism efforts, "extremism and smuggling operations, as well as to maintain security and stability in the region".

12:15am - Workers in Qatar sent on 'unpaid extended leave'

As the blockade on Qatar enters its third month, the Migrant Rights organisation said the effects are "increasingly felt" by migrant workers in the hospitality, construction and shipping industries.

The Migrant Rights monitor said that in addition to the standard 30 days of paid annual leave, workers have been "asked" to go on "unpaid long leave" for two to three months.

In one case, a migrant worker at a five-star hotel told the group that six restaurants in the hotel have been closed because of the drop in the number of visitors.

6 August 2017

12.10pm - Qatar hauling firms feel strain of Gulf rift

The closure of Qatar's land border with Saudi Arabia has effectively stopped the import and export businesses of many Qatari truck companies.

Business owners, who have complained about less work and higher rents, are hoping the problem is resolved soon.

"We have been affected since the first minute," Saeed Fadal Ali Al-Kaabi, director of Al Fadal Transport and Trading, told Al Jazeera.

"We are losing money and work is very slow," he said. "We're hardly using any trucks."

11:05am - US steps up efforts to try and resolve dispute

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has asked two officials, including retired general and former Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni, to work on ending the Gulf diplomatic crisis.

"There's only so much you can do with telephone persuasion,” Tillerson said last week, after vowing to send the duo to mediate.

Gerald Feierstein, former US ambassador to Yemen, backed Tillerson's choice of Zinni as a mediator.

"He's a man with tremendous experience and knowledge," he said. "Hopefully, with sustained effort from the US, we will find a solution."